Sunday, January 24, 2010
We had never heard of Caral until Lynne´s bridge partner on the cruise told us we absolutely could not miss this new archeological museum. Boy, was she right. We very luckily were able to book a one day bus tour to Caral. Lucky, because they go infrequently and this was the last available tour during our stay in Peru.
The tour was labeled as a Spanish speaking tour but our guide spoke excellent English and kindly translated for us and 3 other non-Spanish speakers.
Barb threw a couple of bottle of water in the freezer so at least we had cold water while it melted. We needed it as our trip into a real desert was in 30 plus temperatures. It is called a desert but it is very rocky. There are parts that look like real sand dunes, and parts that appear to be in the process of turning into sandstone. There were also several types of cactus and one was blooming...the blooms looked like small spider plants.
The highway north is only a 2 lane road but it is definitely lacking in guard rails. Most of the road is high on the side of the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
We found this information on a Google search and have borrowed it from the author, Philip Coppens. If you want to see the photos, search Caral, Peru and you will find his site listed.
In 2001, the oldest town in South America was officially announced. Dating to 2600 BC, it pushed back the date for the “first town” with one millennium. What is even more intriguing, is that the town of Caral has pyramids, contemporary with the Egyptian Pyramid Era.
Sometime before 3200 BC, if not 3500 BC, something happened in the Norte Chico in Peru, an agronomical no-go area, where hardly anything grows. This, however, is the site where the oldest traces of a “genuine civilisation” – pyramids included – were found in America.
Here, at least 25 large ceremonial/residential sites have so far been found, of which Caral has become the most famous. The North Chico, roughly 100 km north of the Peruvian capital Lima, consists of four narrow river valleys, from south to north, the Huaura, Supe, Pativilca, and Fortaleza. The ancient pyramids of Caral predate the Inca civilisation by 4000 years, but were flourishing a century before the pyramids of Gizeh. No surprise therefore that they have been identified as the most important archaeological discovery since the discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911.
The first full-scale archaeological investigation of the region took place in 1941 in Aspero, when Gordon R. Willey and John M. Corbert of Harvard investigated a salt marsh at the mouth of the Supe. They found a big trash heap and a multiroomed building with no pottery and a few maize cobs under the pounded clay floor. They wondered how maize could have been cultivated in a salt marsh and why these people could have agriculture, yet no pottery. Willey and Corbett also found six mounds, some of them nearly five metres tall. They were catalogued as "natural eminences of sand". Thirty years later, Willey, in the company of Michael E. Moseley, revisited the site and realised that these "natural eminences" were in fact "temple-type platform mounds". He also realised there might have been as many as seventeen such mounds, all of which Willey had missed on his first exploration of the site. "It is an excellent, if embarrassing, example of not being able to find what you are not looking for", he commented later. As to its age: carbondating revealed that Aspero could go back to 3000 BC, whereby samples from a nearby site even revealed a date of 4900 BC. Those objective findings were nevertheless seen as impossible - far too old with "what was known" and hence not accepted.
Caral is located 14 miles inland from Aspero. Even though Caral was discovered in 1905, it was quickly forgotten as the site rendered no gold or even ceramics. It required the arrival of Ruth Shady Solis in Caral in 1994 before a genuine paradigm shift would occur. She is a member of the Archaeological Museum of the National University of San Marcos in Lima. Since 1996, she has co-operated with Jonathan Haas, of the American Field Museum. Together, they have found a 150-acre array of earthworks, which includes six large platform mounds, one twenty metres high and more than one hundred on a side. But Shady Solis did not make the same mistake Willey had made: she felt that the “pyramids” were just that: they were not natural hills, as some of her predecessor had catalogued the structures of Caral. Her subsequent research led to the announcement, in the magazine Science on April 27, 2001, of the carbon dating of the site, which revealed that Caral had been founded before 2600 BC. The "impossible" carbondating results of Aspero now seemed more likely... and Caral had become the oldest city in the "New" World, older than the Gizeh pyramids.
What is Caral like? The site is in fact so old that it predates the ceramic period, the reason why no pottery was found. Its importance resides in its domestication of plants, especially cotton, but also beans, squashes and guava.
As mentioned, the heart of the site covers 150 acres and contains six stone platform mounds – pyramids. The largest mound measures 154 by 138 metres, though it rises only to a height of twenty metres; two sunken plazas are at the base of the mound and a large plaza connects all the mounds. The largest pyramid of Peru was terraced with a staircase leading up to an atrium-like platform, culminating in a flattened top housing enclosed rooms and a ceremonial fire pit. All pyramids were built in one or two phases, which means that there was a definitive plan in erecting these monuments. The design of the central plaza would also later be incorporated in all similar structures across the Andes in the millennia to come – thus showing that Caral was a true cradle of civilisation. Around the pyramids were many residential structures. One house revealed the remains of a body that was buried in the wall and appears to have been a natural death, rather than evidence of human sacrifice. Amongst the artefacts discovered are 32 flutes made from pelican and animal bones, engraved with the figures of birds and monkeys. It shows that though situated along the Pacific coast, its inhabitants were aware of the animals of the Amazon.
How did the culture begin? It is suggested that several small villages merged in 2700 BC, quite possibly based on the success of early agricultural cultivation and fishing techniques. The invention of cotton fishing nets, the cotton grown in the Supe valley, must have greatly facilitated the fishing industry. It is believed that this excess of food might have resulted in trade with the religious centres. But apart from an economic model of exchange, the new social model also meant that a labour force existed that had in essence little to do. This labour force could thus be used for “religious purposes”. Caral might have been the natural result of this process – just like the pyramids of Egypt seem to have been the result of an available workforce.
The discovery of Caral has therefore reintroduced a powerful enigma: at the same time, on two different continents, agricultural advancements created a new style of life. The available workforce that agriculture had created was reemployed in the construction of pyramids. This “template” is visible in Peru, Sumer and Egypt, all in the 3rd millennium BC. Coincidence, or evidence of design? Alternative researchers will certainly soon reopen this debate, but archaeologists steer well clear of it.
Caral is indeed hard to accept. It is very old. Still, its dating of 2627 BC is beyond dispute, based as it is on carbondating reed and woven carrying bags that were found in situ. These bags were used to carry the stones that were used for the construction of the pyramids. The material is an excellent candidate for dating, thus allowing for a high precision.
The town itself had a population of approximately 3000 people. But there are 17 other sites in the area, allowing for a possible total population of 20,000 people for the Supe valley. Indeed, the Caral archaeological team broke up to investigate some of the other sites, such as along the Pativilca River, the next river to the north, and the Fortaleza, just north of the Pativilca. All of these sites share similarities with Caral. They have small platforms or stone circles and all were major urban centres on par with Caral – though some of them were even older than Caral. Haas believes that Caral was nevertheless the focus of this civilisation, itself part of an even vaster complex, trading with the coastal communities and the regions further inland – as far as the Amazon, if the depiction of monkeys is any indication.
Modern irrigation in the Supe valley, which is likely to be very similar to the irrigation methods used in the 3rd millennium BC
In July 2006, Caral was opened for tourism, even though it had already received 7,338 visitors in 2003, 15,265 visitors in 2004 and 21,068 visitors in 2005. With the support of PromPeru, and its location being just two hours north of Lima along the easily accessible Pan-American Highway, this number is expected to rise in the coming years. It will continue to undergo a series of restorations that will provide an added value to the existing and future tourist circuits in the region.
But some of the other sites of Norte Chico are still the almost exclusive bailiwick of archaeologists. One site, Huaricanga, saw a first paper published in December 2004. The team of Haas, Winnifred Creamer and Alvaro Ruiz found evidence of people living inland from the coast as early as 9210 BC, with the oldest date associated with a city being 3500 BC. Other urban sites in the region are now dated as being older than Caral: Caballete at 3100 BC, Porvenir and Upaca at 2700 BC. Charles Mann writes how "individually, none of the twenty-five Norte Chico cities rivaled Sumer's cities in size, but the totality was bigger than Sumer."
Haas describes the civilisation of Norte Chico as the second experiment Mankind did with government: surrendering personal freedom and liberty to a centralised authority, which then apparently decided to create a ritual centre – a city, asking those who had surrendered their freedom to work hard – if not very hard – for this common or greater good. As to why this central government was created, speculation remains. The cities were not sited strategically, nor did they have defensive walls; there was no evidence of warfare. It seems that co-operation existed, because the population realised that co-operation would benefit the individual and the community as a whole. Though Haas and his colleagues put forward several "logical" reasons, Caral is primarily a religious cult centre. And no-one seems to dare to suggest the perhaps obvious reason: that these people built Caral, because of their belief and adoration of one or more deities.
That the workforce involved were not slaves or oppressed is supported by the archaeological evidence. Haas and Creamer believe that the city rulers encouraged the workforce during construction by staging celebratory roasts of fish and achira root. Afterward, the remains of these feasts were worked into the fabric of the mound. Alcohol is suspected of having been consumed, and music seems to have been played: at Caral, Shady's discovery of 32 flutes made of pelican wingbones tucked into a recess in the main temple provides the evidence for that conclusion.
The creation of a religous complex implies the existence of a pantheon. Little evidence has been uncovered of what these gods may have been, other than a drawing etched into the face of a gourd, dated to 2280-2180 BC. It depicts a sharp-toothed, hat-wearing figure who holds a long stick or rod in each hand. The image looks like an early version of the Staff God, a fanged, staff-wielding deity who is one of the main characters in the Andean pantheon, the deity that is figured prominently on the Gateway of the Sun in Tiahuanaco, on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
For an unknown reason, Caral was abandoned rapidly after a period of 500 years (ca. 2100 BC). The preferred theory as to why the people migrated is that the region was hit by a drought, forcing the inhabitants to go elsewhere in search of fertile plains. The fact that the Staff God is found two millennia later elsewhere in Southern America shows that these people did not disappear; they merely moved elsewhere, and seem to have built other religious centres on their travels.
The harsh living conditions have since not disappeared. According to the World Monuments Fund (WMF), Caral is one of the 100 important sites under extreme danger. Shady argues that if the existing pyramids are not reinforced, they will disintegrate further and money from tourism, as well as private donations, will help preserve the site. Conservation will go hand in hand with exploration. And though Caral continues to steal the limelight, other nearby sites, such as Aspero, are older. Indeed, Aspero might one day lay claim to the title of the world's oldest city – the place where human civilisation began. Perhaps we might all once realise the irony of having labelled this continent the "New World".
Solis came to Caral looking for the fabled missing link of archaeology, a “mother city”. Today, she is still trying to convince people that Caral was indeed the oldest urban civilisation in the world. "The discovery of Caral challenged the accepted beliefs. Some historians were not ready to believe that an urban civilisation existed in Peru even before the pyramids were built in Egypt," she says. "This place is somewhere between the seat of the gods and the home of man."
Still, the fame of Caral as the oldest pyramid complex might be shortlived. Archaeologists have found a 5,500-year-old ceremonial plaza at Sechin Bajo, in Casma, 229 miles north of Lima, the capital. The discovery occurred by a team of the Latin American Institute at the Freie University in Berlin, under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Peter Fuchs. It contained a platform pyramid that was originally possibly up to 100 metres tall. Carbon dating shows it is one of the oldest structures ever found in the Americas. Nearly 2,000 years later, another structure measuring 180 by 120 metres was added onto it. The discovery at Sechin Bajo means this pyramid complex is now even older than Caral.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
MIRAFLORES, GREAT WINTER GETAWAY
January 25 to 31, 2010
We have to admit to being somewhat disappointed in the weather. While the temperature has been pretty much as advertised, we have been lacking in sunshine and clear night skies for star gazing. On the other hand, even a bad day is a good day here. It is just one of those years.
Barb is complaining that her suntan is fading fast! However, we did have 3 days to use our rooftop terrace for tanning as well as eating at the large table and umbrella. We have noted that the weather is dreadful everywhere as it is an El Nino year and everyone we meet says the same about Lima.
On the one hand, we had wonderful weather in the highlands, even though it is the rainy season, and we missed the dreadful floods that have hit Cusco province and causing major damage. We saw on the local TV that people were stranded in Aguas Calientes as the railroad lines were washed away in some areas. We also heard that although free helicopers were sent in to rescue people, tourists were paying $500 to get to the front of the line!
News from home is sadly lacking as Canada is neither so important or so militaristic that we garner news space. But what really irks is that we cannot even find Canada on the weather maps on CNN. How can such a large country disappear from world maps?Even Lichtenstein, population 1,000, can see themselves on the European weather map and figure out what is going on at home. We do not exist!
On January 26, Sr. Fernandez, our personal taxi driver, drove us to Pueblo Libre and the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropolgia e Historia del Peru. It is a must see. Again, we have to say our ignorance of the history of South America is vast. Going through this museum and seeing samples of pottery, metal work, woven fabrics as well as tools is fascinating. The time lines of Peruvian cultures as compared to Egypt, Asia, Europe help put things in perspective.
It turned out to be a lovely day so after sharing a MacDonald´s burger combo, we returned to suntan on our terrace in the afternoon. The literature says Miraflores has 8 beaches. None can be classified as sandy beaches suitable for tanning. Mostly they are used for surfing. One of the beaches is called Waikiki and the waves seem to be largest here and so has the most surfers.
The food here is wonderful and it is very cheap. In the countryside, we saw such menu items as alpaca steak and roast guinea pig on the menu. In Lima, it is more traditionally Spanish food. But ice cream (everywhere in South America) is wonderful...not full of starch filler as it is at home and less than a buck. We are convinced that the fruit and vegetables here taste better than at home.
The national drink, on the other hand is another thing all together. Pisco, claimed by both Chile and Peru, tastes quite different in each country. We bought a bottle of Pisco as we were leaving Chile and enjoyed it both with mix or on the rocks. When we said we drank it straight, people here had an astonished expression. Once we bought a bottle and tried it we could see why....the Peruvian Pisco is very strong indeed! But Barb is persevering as she experiments with different mixes.
We tried to get tickets to the Opera Carmen but were too late. Simulcasting is very big here and the Opera was a simulcast from the New York Met. There are also upcoming simulcasts of a number of cultural performances including the Bolshoi Ballet.
We went to another Tango Show on January 27 at the Cultural Cente a few blocks away. This one was mostly dancing. The dancers included 4 pairs of seniors as well as 6 young professional Tango dancers who were a delight to watch.
On January 28, we finally decided to walk down to the beach. Miraflores is on a cliff about 150 metres above the ocean so we walked down a nearby cobblestone road down to the beach and ended up following a young man with a surfboard to the ocean. At this beach, you can rent wetsuits, surfboards and buy snacks. We continued walking along the seashore until we came to a park with grass, benches and washrooms. We think the municipality of Miraflores is building sandy beaches for the tourists. After a 90 minute walk, we ended up at a lovely restaurant called Costa Verde. We were desperate for water and decided to have lunch. We nearly choked on the menu prices! The place was absolutely gorgeous with a view of the ocean and charged accordingly...but lucky for us, we had each stuck a 50soles bill in our pocket. After a modest lunch of water, salad and bread, we took our last 5 soles each and pooled the money for a taxi home. We keep forgetting that 50 soles is really about $18.00.
Friday was a nice sunny, lazy day. A good day to relax and moan about packing. On Saturday, we decided to go out for dinner and ended up in a small local restaurant and sat next to a table occupied by 3 women who spoke English. They translated the menu for us, and invited us for Pisco Sours at their home and for a typical Peruvian lunch on Sunday. They were charming and the food delicious.
Sunday morning, we were joined by our friends in the building, and went to the Radisson Hotel for a fabulous breakfast buffet. This hotel is only a block from our apartment.
Our friends invited us for Sunday dinner and we had a very social evening.
We have spent today packing as our departure is at 1:30 am February 2. We are looking forward to getting home to our own beds...but not to the cold weather.
We have had a wonderful adventure and did things we might not physically be able to do in a few years.
South America is a wonderful place to visit.
We would recommend a 2 week vacation in Argentina where you could do Buenes Airies (try the Claridge Hotel), a trip to Iguacu and Colonia (across the Platt River in Uruguay) and tours to Tigre River Delta and the Pampas.
Brazil is a great place to get a suntan. Amazonia is amazing, Rio is good for a few days and Buzios is fabulous. There are other resorts in Brazil that also look interesting.
Peru is absolutely the place to come if you are into archeology. There is so much pre conquest history to be explored.
Miraflores is a great winter getaway as it is sunny here from December to April. We cannot get over how cheap it is to eat out (or buy groceries for that matter.) While it might cost a bit more in airfare, the apartments here are reasonable. The Montreal couple we met are renting a 3 bedroom apartment for $850 a month for the season. Besides the cultural centre, movies and simulcasts, Parc Kennedy is a great place to stroll through on Friday and Saturday evenings. TV is not bad as a lot of channels show English language series and movies with Spanish subtitles.
We plan to return.
We have to admit to being somewhat disappointed in the weather. While the temperature has been pretty much as advertised, we have been lacking in sunshine and clear night skies for star gazing. On the other hand, even a bad day is a good day here. It is just one of those years.
Barb is complaining that her suntan is fading fast! However, we did have 3 days to use our rooftop terrace for tanning as well as eating at the large table and umbrella. We have noted that the weather is dreadful everywhere as it is an El Nino year and everyone we meet says the same about Lima.
On the one hand, we had wonderful weather in the highlands, even though it is the rainy season, and we missed the dreadful floods that have hit Cusco province and causing major damage. We saw on the local TV that people were stranded in Aguas Calientes as the railroad lines were washed away in some areas. We also heard that although free helicopers were sent in to rescue people, tourists were paying $500 to get to the front of the line!
News from home is sadly lacking as Canada is neither so important or so militaristic that we garner news space. But what really irks is that we cannot even find Canada on the weather maps on CNN. How can such a large country disappear from world maps?Even Lichtenstein, population 1,000, can see themselves on the European weather map and figure out what is going on at home. We do not exist!
On January 26, Sr. Fernandez, our personal taxi driver, drove us to Pueblo Libre and the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropolgia e Historia del Peru. It is a must see. Again, we have to say our ignorance of the history of South America is vast. Going through this museum and seeing samples of pottery, metal work, woven fabrics as well as tools is fascinating. The time lines of Peruvian cultures as compared to Egypt, Asia, Europe help put things in perspective.
It turned out to be a lovely day so after sharing a MacDonald´s burger combo, we returned to suntan on our terrace in the afternoon. The literature says Miraflores has 8 beaches. None can be classified as sandy beaches suitable for tanning. Mostly they are used for surfing. One of the beaches is called Waikiki and the waves seem to be largest here and so has the most surfers.
The food here is wonderful and it is very cheap. In the countryside, we saw such menu items as alpaca steak and roast guinea pig on the menu. In Lima, it is more traditionally Spanish food. But ice cream (everywhere in South America) is wonderful...not full of starch filler as it is at home and less than a buck. We are convinced that the fruit and vegetables here taste better than at home.
The national drink, on the other hand is another thing all together. Pisco, claimed by both Chile and Peru, tastes quite different in each country. We bought a bottle of Pisco as we were leaving Chile and enjoyed it both with mix or on the rocks. When we said we drank it straight, people here had an astonished expression. Once we bought a bottle and tried it we could see why....the Peruvian Pisco is very strong indeed! But Barb is persevering as she experiments with different mixes.
We tried to get tickets to the Opera Carmen but were too late. Simulcasting is very big here and the Opera was a simulcast from the New York Met. There are also upcoming simulcasts of a number of cultural performances including the Bolshoi Ballet.
We went to another Tango Show on January 27 at the Cultural Cente a few blocks away. This one was mostly dancing. The dancers included 4 pairs of seniors as well as 6 young professional Tango dancers who were a delight to watch.
On January 28, we finally decided to walk down to the beach. Miraflores is on a cliff about 150 metres above the ocean so we walked down a nearby cobblestone road down to the beach and ended up following a young man with a surfboard to the ocean. At this beach, you can rent wetsuits, surfboards and buy snacks. We continued walking along the seashore until we came to a park with grass, benches and washrooms. We think the municipality of Miraflores is building sandy beaches for the tourists. After a 90 minute walk, we ended up at a lovely restaurant called Costa Verde. We were desperate for water and decided to have lunch. We nearly choked on the menu prices! The place was absolutely gorgeous with a view of the ocean and charged accordingly...but lucky for us, we had each stuck a 50soles bill in our pocket. After a modest lunch of water, salad and bread, we took our last 5 soles each and pooled the money for a taxi home. We keep forgetting that 50 soles is really about $18.00.
Friday was a nice sunny, lazy day. A good day to relax and moan about packing. On Saturday, we decided to go out for dinner and ended up in a small local restaurant and sat next to a table occupied by 3 women who spoke English. They translated the menu for us, and invited us for Pisco Sours at their home and for a typical Peruvian lunch on Sunday. They were charming and the food delicious.
Sunday morning, we were joined by our friends in the building, and went to the Radisson Hotel for a fabulous breakfast buffet. This hotel is only a block from our apartment.
Our friends invited us for Sunday dinner and we had a very social evening.
We have spent today packing as our departure is at 1:30 am February 2. We are looking forward to getting home to our own beds...but not to the cold weather.
We have had a wonderful adventure and did things we might not physically be able to do in a few years.
South America is a wonderful place to visit.
We would recommend a 2 week vacation in Argentina where you could do Buenes Airies (try the Claridge Hotel), a trip to Iguacu and Colonia (across the Platt River in Uruguay) and tours to Tigre River Delta and the Pampas.
Brazil is a great place to get a suntan. Amazonia is amazing, Rio is good for a few days and Buzios is fabulous. There are other resorts in Brazil that also look interesting.
Peru is absolutely the place to come if you are into archeology. There is so much pre conquest history to be explored.
Miraflores is a great winter getaway as it is sunny here from December to April. We cannot get over how cheap it is to eat out (or buy groceries for that matter.) While it might cost a bit more in airfare, the apartments here are reasonable. The Montreal couple we met are renting a 3 bedroom apartment for $850 a month for the season. Besides the cultural centre, movies and simulcasts, Parc Kennedy is a great place to stroll through on Friday and Saturday evenings. TV is not bad as a lot of channels show English language series and movies with Spanish subtitles.
We plan to return.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
LIMA, THE LAS VEGAS OF SOUTH AMERICA
January 17 - 23, 2010
Who would have known?
Lima is a very large city with a population of 9 million, and we think a good portion of those are at the Casino´s which are on every corner of Larco Avenue, the main drag in our neighbourhood. Just like our apartment block, there is security at every entrance.
It is quite something to drop in 10 Soles knowing it is only around $3.47 US and win. We feel like big spenders, although gambling is Barb´s thing not Lynne´s.
Just like the real Vegas, the attendance is down as neither of these casinos were very busy and we had our choice of some old familiars machines and some new and interesting ones.
We visited Atlantic City, which unlike the real Las Vegas gives out meals, desserts and fruit drinks every evening at 9 pm, and found out the machines take paper money in 10´s or 20´s, etc., mean US tens or twenties. So we are sticking closer to our corner at the La Hacienda where there are dozens of one soles machines. But there are others to visit before we leave!
We started the week by walking over to the Indian Market...a 45 minute stroll. All the Indian Markets in Peru sell the same thing .... or 99% the same thing. Every once in a while you spot something different. Prices need to be negotiated as you can never tell what is a reasonable price until you test the waters. The same sweater in Agua Calientes that the vendor was asking 85 soles for could be found at a roadside table for 40 soles. A decorated gourd in the country might be 10 soles while the same thing in the historic square of Lima is 80 soles! Lynne bought a hand knit sweater from an Indian women in the country for 50 soles and the expresion on her face was priceless. We think it was her whole week´s income.
There is a Gold Museum at Larcomar shopping centre so we walked over to see the exhibit. Fascinating display and we were both quite taken with the designs.
Then off to Tony Roma to share a large rib dinner that came with the largest baked potato we had ever seen. We took this in stride as we were told there were about 3,000 varieties of potatoes in Peru. Had a lovely table overlooking the ocean.
While walking down Larco Avenue, we spotted a poster advertising a Tango show for Wednesday night. We showed up early, bought senior´s price tickets and were treated to a performance of music, singing and a little dancing. The audience was seniors and so were most of the performers. The highlights of the evening were a couple who must have been in their 70´s dancing a couple of Tangos. Lucille Ball was right when she said be thankful if you have great legs because they are the last to go!
There was one young singer. He must have been in an accident as his right arm was artificial and he also had right leg difficulties. But what a glorious voice.
We took our friend along who is our age but speaks no English. At the auditorium, we met two women (one American and one Canadian) who had come into town from Araquippa for a couple of days. They both spoke Spanish, so we all went for coffee together and translation was no problem.
We walked...60 minutes...to Huaca Pucllana (pronounced Pook ya na)which is a Pre´-Inca step pyramid around which Miraflores has grown up. In the past, Peruvians did not think these pyramids were worth saving as there are so many. In the 60´s and 70´s the site was used as a garbage dump and there were even plans to run roadways through it. The bulldozers started but a stop was put to the plans and today it is a facinating museum which one can tour with guides. Next to the site is one of the finest restaurants in Lima and you can dine while viewing the ruins. Our walk back was 1/2 the time of course as we just retraced our steps. Lynne is a great navigator.
That evening we took a taxi to Circuito Magico del Agua, a park located in downtown Lima with wonderful fountains. There are many different displays, all lit up, but the most popular was a water feature in which the children walked onto the platform spouts where they all promptly got soaking wet. One offered a grand display with theme music from the Beattles to Beethoven ending with holographic photos in honour of the 425th anniversary of the founding of Lima. This fountain can give the Bilagio in Vegas a run for their money. This park is also very popular with the residents of Lima as it was full of families with children.
Miraflores is a lively neighbourhood. The municipality keeps everything clean and well maintained including its many parks. One of the things we admire about Peru is the many parks and squares which are used as places of family entertainment.
Saturday night we walked over to Parc Kennedy (named after JF) which is a beehive of activity. A playground for young children, a market for handicrafts, a section of artists to sell their paintings and an amphitheatre with 5 levels of seats. In the centre, the audience dances to taped music. Barb and Marina both got some dances in. What a mad crush...the men in this country like to dance!
We are managing to walk nearly 2 hours every day and like to think that our clothes that were too tight when we got off the ship are now loose.
One more week to go! We are having a wonderful time and cannot believe the time is slipping away so fast. But, in spite of all, we are getting ready to come home. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Who would have known?
Lima is a very large city with a population of 9 million, and we think a good portion of those are at the Casino´s which are on every corner of Larco Avenue, the main drag in our neighbourhood. Just like our apartment block, there is security at every entrance.
It is quite something to drop in 10 Soles knowing it is only around $3.47 US and win. We feel like big spenders, although gambling is Barb´s thing not Lynne´s.
Just like the real Vegas, the attendance is down as neither of these casinos were very busy and we had our choice of some old familiars machines and some new and interesting ones.
We visited Atlantic City, which unlike the real Las Vegas gives out meals, desserts and fruit drinks every evening at 9 pm, and found out the machines take paper money in 10´s or 20´s, etc., mean US tens or twenties. So we are sticking closer to our corner at the La Hacienda where there are dozens of one soles machines. But there are others to visit before we leave!
We started the week by walking over to the Indian Market...a 45 minute stroll. All the Indian Markets in Peru sell the same thing .... or 99% the same thing. Every once in a while you spot something different. Prices need to be negotiated as you can never tell what is a reasonable price until you test the waters. The same sweater in Agua Calientes that the vendor was asking 85 soles for could be found at a roadside table for 40 soles. A decorated gourd in the country might be 10 soles while the same thing in the historic square of Lima is 80 soles! Lynne bought a hand knit sweater from an Indian women in the country for 50 soles and the expresion on her face was priceless. We think it was her whole week´s income.
There is a Gold Museum at Larcomar shopping centre so we walked over to see the exhibit. Fascinating display and we were both quite taken with the designs.
Then off to Tony Roma to share a large rib dinner that came with the largest baked potato we had ever seen. We took this in stride as we were told there were about 3,000 varieties of potatoes in Peru. Had a lovely table overlooking the ocean.
While walking down Larco Avenue, we spotted a poster advertising a Tango show for Wednesday night. We showed up early, bought senior´s price tickets and were treated to a performance of music, singing and a little dancing. The audience was seniors and so were most of the performers. The highlights of the evening were a couple who must have been in their 70´s dancing a couple of Tangos. Lucille Ball was right when she said be thankful if you have great legs because they are the last to go!
There was one young singer. He must have been in an accident as his right arm was artificial and he also had right leg difficulties. But what a glorious voice.
We took our friend along who is our age but speaks no English. At the auditorium, we met two women (one American and one Canadian) who had come into town from Araquippa for a couple of days. They both spoke Spanish, so we all went for coffee together and translation was no problem.
We walked...60 minutes...to Huaca Pucllana (pronounced Pook ya na)which is a Pre´-Inca step pyramid around which Miraflores has grown up. In the past, Peruvians did not think these pyramids were worth saving as there are so many. In the 60´s and 70´s the site was used as a garbage dump and there were even plans to run roadways through it. The bulldozers started but a stop was put to the plans and today it is a facinating museum which one can tour with guides. Next to the site is one of the finest restaurants in Lima and you can dine while viewing the ruins. Our walk back was 1/2 the time of course as we just retraced our steps. Lynne is a great navigator.
That evening we took a taxi to Circuito Magico del Agua, a park located in downtown Lima with wonderful fountains. There are many different displays, all lit up, but the most popular was a water feature in which the children walked onto the platform spouts where they all promptly got soaking wet. One offered a grand display with theme music from the Beattles to Beethoven ending with holographic photos in honour of the 425th anniversary of the founding of Lima. This fountain can give the Bilagio in Vegas a run for their money. This park is also very popular with the residents of Lima as it was full of families with children.
Miraflores is a lively neighbourhood. The municipality keeps everything clean and well maintained including its many parks. One of the things we admire about Peru is the many parks and squares which are used as places of family entertainment.
Saturday night we walked over to Parc Kennedy (named after JF) which is a beehive of activity. A playground for young children, a market for handicrafts, a section of artists to sell their paintings and an amphitheatre with 5 levels of seats. In the centre, the audience dances to taped music. Barb and Marina both got some dances in. What a mad crush...the men in this country like to dance!
We are managing to walk nearly 2 hours every day and like to think that our clothes that were too tight when we got off the ship are now loose.
One more week to go! We are having a wonderful time and cannot believe the time is slipping away so fast. But, in spite of all, we are getting ready to come home. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Friday, January 15, 2010
CAMBIOS IN COPACABANA (Money Exchange)
Changing money is always a hassle. The day we left the rate of Reals per US$ varied as follows:
Copacabana Palace Hotel Cambio: $1.65
Our Favorite Cambio
(downstairs on Ave Copacabana not far from the Debret Hotel) $1.75
The most consistent Cambio was in the Marriott Hotel where, by the way, they give the same rate for the Canadian $ and serve a great capaccino!
Copacabana Palace Hotel Cambio: $1.65
Our Favorite Cambio
(downstairs on Ave Copacabana not far from the Debret Hotel) $1.75
The most consistent Cambio was in the Marriott Hotel where, by the way, they give the same rate for the Canadian $ and serve a great capaccino!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
LIMA , PERU
January 10 - 16, 2010
We have finally arrived at our ¨home away from home¨ the cozy little apartment with a rooftop terrace. It is great and we settled in quickly and easily. We each have our own bedroom, bathroom, closet space and lots of rooms for wondering when one of us wakes up at 2 a.m. Actually, more like sunrise when flocks of green parrots (who are the noisiest birds in creation) start squawking...and continue until sunset.
We tried to insert a link to show you our digs but this website would not allow us to do so. You can try the following:
www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Lima-Peru-vacation-rental-condo-proID-34982.html
If this does not work try Googling¨"cozy penthouse with terrace in Miraflores"
We were so fed up with restaurant meals that we could hardly wait to go grocery shopping and start eating meals that we are used to! Especially coffee. Lynne hates to clean and Barb hates to cook so KP is working very well. We have set up a small kitchen on the second floor which leads onto the terrace, so all we carry up and down the stairs is the food. The stairs themselves are good exercise.
No more sending our laundry out or tipping for dragging our luggage into a hotel or into a taxi.
We have a great view of our local neighbourhood in Miraflores, the Pacific Ocean and the para-gliders criss-crossing over the ocean. Not for either of us!
We are walking everyday and have discovered several different ways to get to Larcomar, a grand shopping centre across from the Marriott Hotel and facing the ocean and Kennedy Park which is to the south. None of these sites is more than a 15 minute walk. As with all office building, banks and apartment blocks, we have 24 hour security staff watching over us. No one speaks English and, in spite of her best intentions, Barb´s Spanish hasn´t improved much.
We really like our location on 28 de Julio near the ocean wall. We did not realize just how central it is until we started walking.
We have found a wonderful grocery store called Vivanda that sells everything just like at home. The root vegies in both Brazil and Peru are fabulous. They are very tasty and do not turn to mush when cooked or reheated.
Vivanda is an over-the-hill yuppies´s idea of heaven. They even sell cut-up veggies for stir fries. Their added service is their staff will walk us back to our apt. with the buggy full of food. And did he appreciate the tip--same as if we took a taxi except he took the groceries right into our kitchen.
Just like Rio, we are spending a fortune on bottled water. We had wanted to buy a demi of water with a spigot but they do not sell such an item here.
We have also found some very nice places to eat that are extremely reasonable--yes we do prepare most of our meals, but we need a treat now and then. We found several nearby restaurants with typical Peruvian menus which are very popular with the local residents. For 6.5 to 10 soles they serve an appetizer, a full meal and freshly made juice. Keep in mind that 10 Soles is around $3.47 US
This city is exploding. There is construction everywhere. Actually, we saw lots of construction everywhere we have travelled in Peru. The exterior construction looks good (we are monitoring a high-rise apartment under construction near us) but the interior finishing is spotty at best. Our lovely apartment has electrical outlets in odd places and hot and cold water hooked up backwards in Lynne´s WC. We are not sure if the training in the trades is lacking or respect for a quality tradesman...read proper wages. It seems this construction frenzy has been going on for over 4 years and apartments that sold for $45,000 are now going for $110,000. We have seen these boomlets before and they inevitably end up with too much on the market and a drop in prices.
The drivers in this city are INSANE and pedestrians take their life in hand just to cross a street. It does not matter if the autos have a red traffic light...the drivers love to play chicken with the pedestrians. We thought the drivers in BA and Rio were bad...nothing like Lima.
And the drivers here ADORE their car alatms. You can hardly walk down a street that someone´s car alarm does not go off. And they go off all hours of the day and night.
Just a note: there are no mosquitoes here! In fact, few bugs at all. However, we both managed to get one bite each from something and reacted quite badly. We are over it now and hope that bite proves to be our solitary buggy experience.
We have met a very nice couple from Montreal who are spending 5 months in Lima to get away from winter. This is their 5th year and they like it very much.
We ended our first week with a major tourist experience. We wanted to go to La Victoria shopping district. It is very famous for selling clothing of all types, shoes, lingerie, etc. Our friends in our apartment building (mother and daughter) could not believe we had heard about such a place and refused to let us go alone. "You would be two white faces in the middle of Africa" they told us and arranged for the four of us to go in a taxi driven by a friend.
We were not allowed to bring our cameras or wear our watches and Barb had to remove her gold earings. Lynne had to put a bandaid over her rings. We were inspected before we were allowed to leave the house.
We have never seen anything like it! The street, Gamarra, is 10 blocks of pedestrian mall. The buildings are commonly 6 stories in height and each story, we think they are factory outlets, has a different shop. Tens of thousands of people stroll down Gamarra and besides the businesses there are malls where many small vendors are located. The street is full of people trying to make a living by hawking food, trousers, cotton underwear, fruit, chewing gum and chocolates. We even saw one man with a bathroom scale where for a few centavos you could weight yourself!
Actually, we felt perfectly safe as we strolled down Gemarra with mama in front and daughter in the back.
We stopped for lunch in a fast food mall and opted for Chinese food...heaping plates of Peruvian style chinese food but to us, it tasted exactly like home. And no bad after effects!
It suddenly dawned on us that we have only 2 weeks left before we return home with so much still to see. We have made a list are will fill you in as we go.
We have finally arrived at our ¨home away from home¨ the cozy little apartment with a rooftop terrace. It is great and we settled in quickly and easily. We each have our own bedroom, bathroom, closet space and lots of rooms for wondering when one of us wakes up at 2 a.m. Actually, more like sunrise when flocks of green parrots (who are the noisiest birds in creation) start squawking...and continue until sunset.
We tried to insert a link to show you our digs but this website would not allow us to do so. You can try the following:
www.vacationhomerentals.com/vacation-rentals/Lima-Peru-vacation-rental-condo-proID-34982.html
If this does not work try Googling¨"cozy penthouse with terrace in Miraflores"
We were so fed up with restaurant meals that we could hardly wait to go grocery shopping and start eating meals that we are used to! Especially coffee. Lynne hates to clean and Barb hates to cook so KP is working very well. We have set up a small kitchen on the second floor which leads onto the terrace, so all we carry up and down the stairs is the food. The stairs themselves are good exercise.
No more sending our laundry out or tipping for dragging our luggage into a hotel or into a taxi.
We have a great view of our local neighbourhood in Miraflores, the Pacific Ocean and the para-gliders criss-crossing over the ocean. Not for either of us!
We are walking everyday and have discovered several different ways to get to Larcomar, a grand shopping centre across from the Marriott Hotel and facing the ocean and Kennedy Park which is to the south. None of these sites is more than a 15 minute walk. As with all office building, banks and apartment blocks, we have 24 hour security staff watching over us. No one speaks English and, in spite of her best intentions, Barb´s Spanish hasn´t improved much.
We really like our location on 28 de Julio near the ocean wall. We did not realize just how central it is until we started walking.
We have found a wonderful grocery store called Vivanda that sells everything just like at home. The root vegies in both Brazil and Peru are fabulous. They are very tasty and do not turn to mush when cooked or reheated.
Vivanda is an over-the-hill yuppies´s idea of heaven. They even sell cut-up veggies for stir fries. Their added service is their staff will walk us back to our apt. with the buggy full of food. And did he appreciate the tip--same as if we took a taxi except he took the groceries right into our kitchen.
Just like Rio, we are spending a fortune on bottled water. We had wanted to buy a demi of water with a spigot but they do not sell such an item here.
We have also found some very nice places to eat that are extremely reasonable--yes we do prepare most of our meals, but we need a treat now and then. We found several nearby restaurants with typical Peruvian menus which are very popular with the local residents. For 6.5 to 10 soles they serve an appetizer, a full meal and freshly made juice. Keep in mind that 10 Soles is around $3.47 US
This city is exploding. There is construction everywhere. Actually, we saw lots of construction everywhere we have travelled in Peru. The exterior construction looks good (we are monitoring a high-rise apartment under construction near us) but the interior finishing is spotty at best. Our lovely apartment has electrical outlets in odd places and hot and cold water hooked up backwards in Lynne´s WC. We are not sure if the training in the trades is lacking or respect for a quality tradesman...read proper wages. It seems this construction frenzy has been going on for over 4 years and apartments that sold for $45,000 are now going for $110,000. We have seen these boomlets before and they inevitably end up with too much on the market and a drop in prices.
The drivers in this city are INSANE and pedestrians take their life in hand just to cross a street. It does not matter if the autos have a red traffic light...the drivers love to play chicken with the pedestrians. We thought the drivers in BA and Rio were bad...nothing like Lima.
And the drivers here ADORE their car alatms. You can hardly walk down a street that someone´s car alarm does not go off. And they go off all hours of the day and night.
Just a note: there are no mosquitoes here! In fact, few bugs at all. However, we both managed to get one bite each from something and reacted quite badly. We are over it now and hope that bite proves to be our solitary buggy experience.
We have met a very nice couple from Montreal who are spending 5 months in Lima to get away from winter. This is their 5th year and they like it very much.
We ended our first week with a major tourist experience. We wanted to go to La Victoria shopping district. It is very famous for selling clothing of all types, shoes, lingerie, etc. Our friends in our apartment building (mother and daughter) could not believe we had heard about such a place and refused to let us go alone. "You would be two white faces in the middle of Africa" they told us and arranged for the four of us to go in a taxi driven by a friend.
We were not allowed to bring our cameras or wear our watches and Barb had to remove her gold earings. Lynne had to put a bandaid over her rings. We were inspected before we were allowed to leave the house.
We have never seen anything like it! The street, Gamarra, is 10 blocks of pedestrian mall. The buildings are commonly 6 stories in height and each story, we think they are factory outlets, has a different shop. Tens of thousands of people stroll down Gamarra and besides the businesses there are malls where many small vendors are located. The street is full of people trying to make a living by hawking food, trousers, cotton underwear, fruit, chewing gum and chocolates. We even saw one man with a bathroom scale where for a few centavos you could weight yourself!
Actually, we felt perfectly safe as we strolled down Gemarra with mama in front and daughter in the back.
We stopped for lunch in a fast food mall and opted for Chinese food...heaping plates of Peruvian style chinese food but to us, it tasted exactly like home. And no bad after effects!
It suddenly dawned on us that we have only 2 weeks left before we return home with so much still to see. We have made a list are will fill you in as we go.
PUNO, LAKE TITICACA & FLOATING ISLANDS
January 7 - 9, 2010
Off at 6:30 a.m. for a 10 hour bus trip to Puno. The bus was comfortable so we could concentrate on the unbelievable scenery through the Peruvian Andes ranging from scrub brush to barren land and mountains that just 10 years ago were covered in snow. Today, you can still see small remains of the mountain top glaciers. There are a lot of villages along the way. At these high altitudes, no plowing is allowed. The farms are mostly animals...cows, sheep, alpaca. The locals use animal dung for fire wood in areas where there are no trees at all. Most homes are built adobe style.
As we recommended by everyone, we drank lots of Coca tea to help with the altitude...and it tastes pretty good. It is hard to realize how high up you are as you drive along the highway. We thought Albertans live on a plain but it is nothing compared to this part of our tour.
We had 5 stops: Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuani, La Raya, Pukara and finally Puno.
Andahuaylillas,is a small town with an historical church that is being restored. The town is poor and it appears they depend on the tour buses for a small Indian Market set up in the town square, just across from the church. A colonial town that is clean and well maintained in spite of economic hardship.
Our next stop was Raqchi, an archeological complex with a great temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha in the Inca era. This was an Inca pilgrimage centre. On the grounds was the largest granary along the Inca Trail. Just before we arrived, there is a large Inca Gate that monitored the Inca Trail.
You can also see the ruins of Inca granaries as you drive through the Sacred Valley. They are built into the sides of mountains in such a way that the prevailing winds provide perfect refrigeration.
Stopped at Sicuani for lunch. A typical Peruvian buffet lunch which we enjoyed. We believe it was a hostel as the showers and washrooms were in outside buildings. Very interesting as the washrooms were clean and modern.
La Raya is the highest point on our trip at 4 335 m (about 13,000 feet above sea level.) This height is only about 3 or 4,000 feet lower than the peak of Mount Everest. Again, a stopping point for the tour buses and a fair sized roadside Indian Market.
Our next stop was Pukara, a town where the ceramic traditions are preserved. This name refers to Peru´s first southerly civilization dating back to 1600 BCE. There is a small museum, called Lityc, here which has some carvings and ceramics on display. Most of the artifacts are brought in by local people who have found most, but not all, pieces of an urn or similar item. On looking at the ceramics, we found a small bowl that absolutely reminded us of the Haida Indian designs (Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C.)...more cousins! As usual, there was no printed material for us to take - even in Spanish much less English.
Finally, we arrived in Puno, at an altitude of 3 810 m (about 12,000 ft) to be met by a charming guide named Felix who was very excited to take us on the next adventure - a full day on Lake Titicaca.
But first a good nights sleep at the Eco Inn. A delightful inn with 3 pet Alpacas (mama, papa and baby) looking into the dining room every morning for breakfast and every evening for dinner. They also had a fireplace with a supply of wood for cooler evenings.
Picked up at 6:45 a.m. for our trip to Lake Titicaca which is the highest navigable lake in the world with water temperatures hovering around 8 or 10C. (40-50F for you Yankees.) The lake is actually owned 60% by Peru and 40% by Bolivia.
We no sooner got on the boat, than Barb had a touch of 24 hour flu. She managed to get off the boat to visit the Floating Island of Los Uros, occupied by the Uros Indians. They considered themselves Lords of the Lake as they are convinced they have black blood because they do not feel the cold of the lake in the winter.
It is a settlement of several islands made of mud and reeds. Each island had a family or group of families occupying the top and ensuring it is maintained.
They showed us how an island is manufactured. Building an island is really very ingeneous. They do wonderful arts and crafts from gourds and reeds as well as beautiful weavings. They have a co-op which sells their arts and crafts.
After a lecture and demonstration of reed boat building, we wanted to support these people in some way. Barb made a cash contribution to the community bank which takes care of inhabitants health needs, etc. You can imagine the illnesses as there is no clean water of any kind close at hand. They suffer from arthritis and have an average life span of about 60 years.
A young woman came up to Lynne and wanted to show Lynne her home. It was interesting...a small reed room with the mattress built up on a frame of reeds with pegs on the wall to hold personal clothing and belongings. This young woman had a crafts table. Lynne saw a lovely large gourd bowl but unfortunately, did not bring enough soles with her. Then she found a cute red owl and bought it with no haggling. This turned out to be the bargain of the trip.
They showed us a "fish farm" which consisted of a hole in the island floor with a net...probably about 6 feet square.
As Barb soldiered on, Felix was ever attentive and concerned about how she was feeling. It was much appreciated.
After leaving Uros Island, we took a 3 hour boat ride to Taquile Island. This is a very important site on the lake for its archaeological remains, the sacred and ceremonial sites, the festive activities and the daily life of the inhabitants who are dedicated to faming, textile production and fishing. There are about 400 families living on the island following the traditions of the XIV century that respect the principles of an Incan way of life. The inhabitants are strictly vegetarian (but do eat fish) and a life expectancy of 90 years is not uncommon. The cows we saw keep the island's grass short and the sheep are strictly for wool. The parents arrange marriages for their children at about 15 years of age. The main occupation of the men is knitting and for the women, weaving. While living a simple life, they do not appear to lack as we saw many decent motor boats....but no T.V.
Lunch was included on this tour, after we walked up a very steep hill. To aid in our breathing as we tromped up the hill, Felix gave us a local herb which he told us to keep sniffing. This herb only grows at high levels and never at sea level.
Due to Barb´s condition, Felix made arrangements for us to lunch at a restaurant at the half way point. Lynne got to eat a fabulous fish meal with quinoa soup while Barb was provided home hospitality so she could lie down. It was very gracious of the owners even if the pillow was as hard as cement. It was made of unwashed sheep wool. Our boat captain also got to enjoy Barb´s fish meal as Felix bribed him to stay moored until we came back down. The other people on the tour walked to the top, had lunch and then began a 2 1-2 hour walk to a mooring location on another side of the island. We walked back down the hill, onto the boat and took off to meet everyone.
We laughed, as the restaurant, which also catered to back backers, had outside plumbing with a flush toilet. The boat´s plumbing consisted of a toilet, a bucket of clean water and a jug..do you get the picture?
We then all settled down for the 3 hour ride back to Puno. Ever vigilent, Felix stayed with us up to the hotel door.
We had interesting discussions with Felix. The Indians are very proud of their Inca traditions and language but the parents are worried that their children will lose their Quechua language as the schools are only in Spanish as is T.V. In the countryside, few residents have TV, only radio, so they keep the language going.
Our guide was very surprised by us....two ladies with two small bags who arrived on time, never kept anyone waiting and were unfailingly polite. Sounds Canadian to us!
There is so much archeological treasure in Peru and very little money to bring it up to international tourism standards. We were very impressed with the engineering know-how of the pre-conquest inhabitants. We longed for printed material, which was hardly ever available, and English material which really is the international language of travelers. This is a consistent problem throughout Central and South America.
Our last morning, we were picked up early and taken to the airport located in another town about one hour away. This was a large commercial-industrial location with a huge trade in second hand computers, equipment, electronics, appliances etc. The place was dreadful....dirty, only the main road was paved and badly at that, the side roads were nothing but mud puddles with very little police monitoring. Even the mayor of this town lives in Puno.
Actually, Puno was a charming town which tourism has helped make quite prosperous considering the costs there are low, earnings are too, but with a decent education or trade it looks like the locals can live reasonably well. Typical water and power is about 90 soles a month. Ten (10) soles equals $3.47 US which just happened to be our airport exit tax back to Lima.
Off at 6:30 a.m. for a 10 hour bus trip to Puno. The bus was comfortable so we could concentrate on the unbelievable scenery through the Peruvian Andes ranging from scrub brush to barren land and mountains that just 10 years ago were covered in snow. Today, you can still see small remains of the mountain top glaciers. There are a lot of villages along the way. At these high altitudes, no plowing is allowed. The farms are mostly animals...cows, sheep, alpaca. The locals use animal dung for fire wood in areas where there are no trees at all. Most homes are built adobe style.
As we recommended by everyone, we drank lots of Coca tea to help with the altitude...and it tastes pretty good. It is hard to realize how high up you are as you drive along the highway. We thought Albertans live on a plain but it is nothing compared to this part of our tour.
We had 5 stops: Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Sicuani, La Raya, Pukara and finally Puno.
Andahuaylillas,is a small town with an historical church that is being restored. The town is poor and it appears they depend on the tour buses for a small Indian Market set up in the town square, just across from the church. A colonial town that is clean and well maintained in spite of economic hardship.
Our next stop was Raqchi, an archeological complex with a great temple dedicated to the god Wiracocha in the Inca era. This was an Inca pilgrimage centre. On the grounds was the largest granary along the Inca Trail. Just before we arrived, there is a large Inca Gate that monitored the Inca Trail.
You can also see the ruins of Inca granaries as you drive through the Sacred Valley. They are built into the sides of mountains in such a way that the prevailing winds provide perfect refrigeration.
Stopped at Sicuani for lunch. A typical Peruvian buffet lunch which we enjoyed. We believe it was a hostel as the showers and washrooms were in outside buildings. Very interesting as the washrooms were clean and modern.
La Raya is the highest point on our trip at 4 335 m (about 13,000 feet above sea level.) This height is only about 3 or 4,000 feet lower than the peak of Mount Everest. Again, a stopping point for the tour buses and a fair sized roadside Indian Market.
Our next stop was Pukara, a town where the ceramic traditions are preserved. This name refers to Peru´s first southerly civilization dating back to 1600 BCE. There is a small museum, called Lityc, here which has some carvings and ceramics on display. Most of the artifacts are brought in by local people who have found most, but not all, pieces of an urn or similar item. On looking at the ceramics, we found a small bowl that absolutely reminded us of the Haida Indian designs (Queen Charlotte Islands, B.C.)...more cousins! As usual, there was no printed material for us to take - even in Spanish much less English.
Finally, we arrived in Puno, at an altitude of 3 810 m (about 12,000 ft) to be met by a charming guide named Felix who was very excited to take us on the next adventure - a full day on Lake Titicaca.
But first a good nights sleep at the Eco Inn. A delightful inn with 3 pet Alpacas (mama, papa and baby) looking into the dining room every morning for breakfast and every evening for dinner. They also had a fireplace with a supply of wood for cooler evenings.
Picked up at 6:45 a.m. for our trip to Lake Titicaca which is the highest navigable lake in the world with water temperatures hovering around 8 or 10C. (40-50F for you Yankees.) The lake is actually owned 60% by Peru and 40% by Bolivia.
We no sooner got on the boat, than Barb had a touch of 24 hour flu. She managed to get off the boat to visit the Floating Island of Los Uros, occupied by the Uros Indians. They considered themselves Lords of the Lake as they are convinced they have black blood because they do not feel the cold of the lake in the winter.
It is a settlement of several islands made of mud and reeds. Each island had a family or group of families occupying the top and ensuring it is maintained.
They showed us how an island is manufactured. Building an island is really very ingeneous. They do wonderful arts and crafts from gourds and reeds as well as beautiful weavings. They have a co-op which sells their arts and crafts.
After a lecture and demonstration of reed boat building, we wanted to support these people in some way. Barb made a cash contribution to the community bank which takes care of inhabitants health needs, etc. You can imagine the illnesses as there is no clean water of any kind close at hand. They suffer from arthritis and have an average life span of about 60 years.
A young woman came up to Lynne and wanted to show Lynne her home. It was interesting...a small reed room with the mattress built up on a frame of reeds with pegs on the wall to hold personal clothing and belongings. This young woman had a crafts table. Lynne saw a lovely large gourd bowl but unfortunately, did not bring enough soles with her. Then she found a cute red owl and bought it with no haggling. This turned out to be the bargain of the trip.
They showed us a "fish farm" which consisted of a hole in the island floor with a net...probably about 6 feet square.
As Barb soldiered on, Felix was ever attentive and concerned about how she was feeling. It was much appreciated.
After leaving Uros Island, we took a 3 hour boat ride to Taquile Island. This is a very important site on the lake for its archaeological remains, the sacred and ceremonial sites, the festive activities and the daily life of the inhabitants who are dedicated to faming, textile production and fishing. There are about 400 families living on the island following the traditions of the XIV century that respect the principles of an Incan way of life. The inhabitants are strictly vegetarian (but do eat fish) and a life expectancy of 90 years is not uncommon. The cows we saw keep the island's grass short and the sheep are strictly for wool. The parents arrange marriages for their children at about 15 years of age. The main occupation of the men is knitting and for the women, weaving. While living a simple life, they do not appear to lack as we saw many decent motor boats....but no T.V.
Lunch was included on this tour, after we walked up a very steep hill. To aid in our breathing as we tromped up the hill, Felix gave us a local herb which he told us to keep sniffing. This herb only grows at high levels and never at sea level.
Due to Barb´s condition, Felix made arrangements for us to lunch at a restaurant at the half way point. Lynne got to eat a fabulous fish meal with quinoa soup while Barb was provided home hospitality so she could lie down. It was very gracious of the owners even if the pillow was as hard as cement. It was made of unwashed sheep wool. Our boat captain also got to enjoy Barb´s fish meal as Felix bribed him to stay moored until we came back down. The other people on the tour walked to the top, had lunch and then began a 2 1-2 hour walk to a mooring location on another side of the island. We walked back down the hill, onto the boat and took off to meet everyone.
We laughed, as the restaurant, which also catered to back backers, had outside plumbing with a flush toilet. The boat´s plumbing consisted of a toilet, a bucket of clean water and a jug..do you get the picture?
We then all settled down for the 3 hour ride back to Puno. Ever vigilent, Felix stayed with us up to the hotel door.
We had interesting discussions with Felix. The Indians are very proud of their Inca traditions and language but the parents are worried that their children will lose their Quechua language as the schools are only in Spanish as is T.V. In the countryside, few residents have TV, only radio, so they keep the language going.
Our guide was very surprised by us....two ladies with two small bags who arrived on time, never kept anyone waiting and were unfailingly polite. Sounds Canadian to us!
There is so much archeological treasure in Peru and very little money to bring it up to international tourism standards. We were very impressed with the engineering know-how of the pre-conquest inhabitants. We longed for printed material, which was hardly ever available, and English material which really is the international language of travelers. This is a consistent problem throughout Central and South America.
Our last morning, we were picked up early and taken to the airport located in another town about one hour away. This was a large commercial-industrial location with a huge trade in second hand computers, equipment, electronics, appliances etc. The place was dreadful....dirty, only the main road was paved and badly at that, the side roads were nothing but mud puddles with very little police monitoring. Even the mayor of this town lives in Puno.
Actually, Puno was a charming town which tourism has helped make quite prosperous considering the costs there are low, earnings are too, but with a decent education or trade it looks like the locals can live reasonably well. Typical water and power is about 90 soles a month. Ten (10) soles equals $3.47 US which just happened to be our airport exit tax back to Lima.
MACHU PICCHU - AT LAST
January 3 -6, 2010 (yes 2010)
We were very excited to be off to Peru and Machu Picchu, at last! Consider that our whole reason for taking the cruise was to do a 3 day tour to Machu Picchu off the ship. When it turned out to cost more than the whole cruise, we decided to alter our itinerary to come back to Peru and do a proper tour. The funny thing is that breaking our fare up Rio-Lima and Lima-Edmonton, we actually saved $300 in airfare.
We again faced a long travel day starting at 10 a.m. when we were picked up from the Debret and taken to the airport for our journey to Lima (stopover in Buenos Aires), arriving at 10:30 p.m. Met by an English speaking guide Genero and driver who wisked us off to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Miraflores Hotel and a fabulous 2 bedroom suite!! We were so tired all we did was strip and get into bed.
Barb cooked her curling iron when she plugged it into the 200V not the 110V. Early next morning we were picked up and taken to the airport for our 1.5 hr flight to Cusco. We travelled with a small weekender bag we purchased in Rio and our large suitcases again kept by the hotel.
We changed flight times to Cusco and our assigned guide, who was not informed of the change, was late in picking us up at the airport. This resulted in a shortened version of a city tour and a quick drop off at our hotel the Tera Adina Hotel.
The hotel was located on one of the historic and narrow city streets and was not very impressive from the outside. However, once you stepped inside, the hotel was very inviting and luxurious.
We ended up not far from the main city mercado. Unfortunately we didn´t have much time to explore outside the immediate area of our hotel. But the Mercado was very interesting. It is the one place where centavos can buy something. In our case, a couple of tasty bread buns. We also saw a women sewing aprons (the kind that cover your whole outfit) on an old Singer treadle sewing machine. These markets sell everything from meat and poultry to clothing and kitchen supplies. Fascinating stroll.
As warned by Genero, we had started our altitude sickness pills--they worked as we discovered as the days progressed. Actually, Cusco is about 12,000 feet in altitude as opposed to Machu Picchu at 8,000 feet.
Early morning pickup - up at 5:30 am and off at 6:45 a.m. for the train ride to Machu Picchu!!! We had no idea tht we were travelling luxury class on the Vistadome train and breakfast was included or we would have opted for another 1/2 hour of sleep! Our train took us through the Sacred Valley of Urtumbamba to the Lost City of the Incas. what scenery, what heights, what everything!!
Met at the train station (Peru Rail) in Aguas Calientes by an English speaking guide, Raquel, and a bell hop from the hotel. He went off with our hand luggage and we went off with our guide and 5 other people - 3 from the US and 2 from Vancouver to see the sites. First step was to get on the bus for a 20 minute ride up a mountain. We say up but it was really a very winding road full of switchbacks with no shoulder and no railings.
Raquel, our guide, was an Indian lady and very knowledgeable and spoke many languages including Japanese. She said it was easy for her to learn Japanese because she spoke Quechua, the language of the Incas. She was very short and told us that the Indians prefer a short stature. In fact, in olden days, if they noticed a child was growing particularly tall, they put a basket on its head and two or three years later, voila - a child of the proper height. We think it is because it is likely the Spaniards killed all tall people thinking they were Incas.
She pointed out wild begonias that were in bloom and said there are 245 varieties of orchids that grew in Machu Picchu.
Perched 8200 feet above the valley, Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) was hidden by semi-tropical jungles and mountains since it was built in the 15th century until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archeologists believe that the Inca "Virgins of the Sun" took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here and the pueblo was populated by women. In fact, Rquel told us they had found 85 mummies in Machu Picchu including one they believe to be that of the Chief Priestess. She was 6 feet tall and apparently the Incas were a tall people, judging from various mummies that have been found. Many reached 7 feet in height.
The building was fascinating. There was a pre-Inca culture at this sacred spot and you can tell the difference in building methods. An interesting note is that the structures were supported by stone ball bearings to prevent collapse from earthquakes.
We were impressed with the agricultural terraces cut into the mountainside; the solar observatory, the main temple and the 3 x 7 metre high carved monolith.
We clambered about like mountain goats much to everyone's surprise. We think it is because we have grey hair and all women in Peru colour their hair.
What an experience. Not bad for two old broads as we climbed the stairs of the pueblo and got to the top. We got to use our rain ponchos again as a mild rainfall took over shortly before our walk down. Everyone told us it would be cold - ha! not for us hardy Canadians. We wore T-shirts
We ended the tour with guess what--a buffet lunch--at a swanky restuarant called the Sanctuary. Loaded back on the bus for the trip down to the town and a short walk to our hotel. Got lost as the guide left us at the restaurant, but we did find our way.
A nice hotel called the Adina Luxury, with two very interesting views. One is the railway tracks--that was our view, or a raging river which was the view from the breakfast room. Their definition of luxury is different from ours. But the staff were very pleasant and helped whenever they could.
The hotel was located close to the main mercado so we did get a little exercise going up and down the stairs from the street to the top of the market called the Pisac Indian Market. We also got exercise running down the rail tracks to our hotel before a train ran over us. There is building going on EVERYWHERE. The sidewalks are being torn up to install new pipes, hotels are renovating or new ones are under construction. There are tourists everywhere and this was the slow season!
The next day before we headed back to Cusco with the Inka Rail, again luxury class, which took us to the Sacred Valley, our hotel hand carried our luggage up to the train station. Although our travel info said a tour of the Ollantaytambo Fortresss was included, our taxi driver was in too much of a hurry to get us back to Cusco. The driver ignored our requests to stop so we could take some pictures of a special festival day that was taking place and many of the citizens were in their colourful local costumes. So back to the Terra Andina for one more night before we took off again.
There was some confusion as to the return rail tickets as they were delivered late the morning of our departure. There was a family from Washington, DC who were having the typical North American reaction ... where are the tickets? What is the schedule? Why hasn't the guide contacted us? We had already gone through the "manana" syndrome so were not worried. That is because we cheated and phoned our contact in Cusco the previous night.
The Inka Rail only started operating last year and is the first competition to the Peru Rail monopoly. Peru rail has 3 classes of travel...Vistadome (regular and luxury), Hiram Bingham (utmost luxury) and backpackers. These are the folks who hike the Inca Trail, 5 days from Cusco to Machu Picchu over the mountains. Lots of Australians in the backpacker crowd.
We took pictures but for two poor photographers there is nothing that can match a slide show of Machu Picchu that was sent to Lynne a long time ago. We will email everyone a copy and you can view it at your leisure.
We were very excited to be off to Peru and Machu Picchu, at last! Consider that our whole reason for taking the cruise was to do a 3 day tour to Machu Picchu off the ship. When it turned out to cost more than the whole cruise, we decided to alter our itinerary to come back to Peru and do a proper tour. The funny thing is that breaking our fare up Rio-Lima and Lima-Edmonton, we actually saved $300 in airfare.
We again faced a long travel day starting at 10 a.m. when we were picked up from the Debret and taken to the airport for our journey to Lima (stopover in Buenos Aires), arriving at 10:30 p.m. Met by an English speaking guide Genero and driver who wisked us off to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Miraflores Hotel and a fabulous 2 bedroom suite!! We were so tired all we did was strip and get into bed.
Barb cooked her curling iron when she plugged it into the 200V not the 110V. Early next morning we were picked up and taken to the airport for our 1.5 hr flight to Cusco. We travelled with a small weekender bag we purchased in Rio and our large suitcases again kept by the hotel.
We changed flight times to Cusco and our assigned guide, who was not informed of the change, was late in picking us up at the airport. This resulted in a shortened version of a city tour and a quick drop off at our hotel the Tera Adina Hotel.
The hotel was located on one of the historic and narrow city streets and was not very impressive from the outside. However, once you stepped inside, the hotel was very inviting and luxurious.
We ended up not far from the main city mercado. Unfortunately we didn´t have much time to explore outside the immediate area of our hotel. But the Mercado was very interesting. It is the one place where centavos can buy something. In our case, a couple of tasty bread buns. We also saw a women sewing aprons (the kind that cover your whole outfit) on an old Singer treadle sewing machine. These markets sell everything from meat and poultry to clothing and kitchen supplies. Fascinating stroll.
As warned by Genero, we had started our altitude sickness pills--they worked as we discovered as the days progressed. Actually, Cusco is about 12,000 feet in altitude as opposed to Machu Picchu at 8,000 feet.
Early morning pickup - up at 5:30 am and off at 6:45 a.m. for the train ride to Machu Picchu!!! We had no idea tht we were travelling luxury class on the Vistadome train and breakfast was included or we would have opted for another 1/2 hour of sleep! Our train took us through the Sacred Valley of Urtumbamba to the Lost City of the Incas. what scenery, what heights, what everything!!
Met at the train station (Peru Rail) in Aguas Calientes by an English speaking guide, Raquel, and a bell hop from the hotel. He went off with our hand luggage and we went off with our guide and 5 other people - 3 from the US and 2 from Vancouver to see the sites. First step was to get on the bus for a 20 minute ride up a mountain. We say up but it was really a very winding road full of switchbacks with no shoulder and no railings.
Raquel, our guide, was an Indian lady and very knowledgeable and spoke many languages including Japanese. She said it was easy for her to learn Japanese because she spoke Quechua, the language of the Incas. She was very short and told us that the Indians prefer a short stature. In fact, in olden days, if they noticed a child was growing particularly tall, they put a basket on its head and two or three years later, voila - a child of the proper height. We think it is because it is likely the Spaniards killed all tall people thinking they were Incas.
She pointed out wild begonias that were in bloom and said there are 245 varieties of orchids that grew in Machu Picchu.
Perched 8200 feet above the valley, Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) was hidden by semi-tropical jungles and mountains since it was built in the 15th century until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archeologists believe that the Inca "Virgins of the Sun" took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here and the pueblo was populated by women. In fact, Rquel told us they had found 85 mummies in Machu Picchu including one they believe to be that of the Chief Priestess. She was 6 feet tall and apparently the Incas were a tall people, judging from various mummies that have been found. Many reached 7 feet in height.
The building was fascinating. There was a pre-Inca culture at this sacred spot and you can tell the difference in building methods. An interesting note is that the structures were supported by stone ball bearings to prevent collapse from earthquakes.
We were impressed with the agricultural terraces cut into the mountainside; the solar observatory, the main temple and the 3 x 7 metre high carved monolith.
We clambered about like mountain goats much to everyone's surprise. We think it is because we have grey hair and all women in Peru colour their hair.
What an experience. Not bad for two old broads as we climbed the stairs of the pueblo and got to the top. We got to use our rain ponchos again as a mild rainfall took over shortly before our walk down. Everyone told us it would be cold - ha! not for us hardy Canadians. We wore T-shirts
We ended the tour with guess what--a buffet lunch--at a swanky restuarant called the Sanctuary. Loaded back on the bus for the trip down to the town and a short walk to our hotel. Got lost as the guide left us at the restaurant, but we did find our way.
A nice hotel called the Adina Luxury, with two very interesting views. One is the railway tracks--that was our view, or a raging river which was the view from the breakfast room. Their definition of luxury is different from ours. But the staff were very pleasant and helped whenever they could.
The hotel was located close to the main mercado so we did get a little exercise going up and down the stairs from the street to the top of the market called the Pisac Indian Market. We also got exercise running down the rail tracks to our hotel before a train ran over us. There is building going on EVERYWHERE. The sidewalks are being torn up to install new pipes, hotels are renovating or new ones are under construction. There are tourists everywhere and this was the slow season!
The next day before we headed back to Cusco with the Inka Rail, again luxury class, which took us to the Sacred Valley, our hotel hand carried our luggage up to the train station. Although our travel info said a tour of the Ollantaytambo Fortresss was included, our taxi driver was in too much of a hurry to get us back to Cusco. The driver ignored our requests to stop so we could take some pictures of a special festival day that was taking place and many of the citizens were in their colourful local costumes. So back to the Terra Andina for one more night before we took off again.
There was some confusion as to the return rail tickets as they were delivered late the morning of our departure. There was a family from Washington, DC who were having the typical North American reaction ... where are the tickets? What is the schedule? Why hasn't the guide contacted us? We had already gone through the "manana" syndrome so were not worried. That is because we cheated and phoned our contact in Cusco the previous night.
The Inka Rail only started operating last year and is the first competition to the Peru Rail monopoly. Peru rail has 3 classes of travel...Vistadome (regular and luxury), Hiram Bingham (utmost luxury) and backpackers. These are the folks who hike the Inca Trail, 5 days from Cusco to Machu Picchu over the mountains. Lots of Australians in the backpacker crowd.
We took pictures but for two poor photographers there is nothing that can match a slide show of Machu Picchu that was sent to Lynne a long time ago. We will email everyone a copy and you can view it at your leisure.
GUIDES WE RECOMMEND IN BRAZIL
We found the following guides to be excellent. They speak English in the vernacular and are helpful and personable.
Rio et al
Rakel was our guide to and from Buzios. She speaks many languages and has travelled extensively through Europe, USA and SA. If she is already committed, she can find an equally good available guide.
When we were in Brazil, a private car and guide started at 250 Reals per day. Water, meals etc for all are your responsibility. Also, admissions for guide and yourselves. A larger vehicle also adds to the cost.
rakelhaesbaert@yahoo.com.br
Phone: 21-93365894
Manaus
Hugo Hoyos
hughoy@yahoo.com.br
phone: (cell) 55 92 9122-7523
Hugo was our guide on the Amazon Clipper and helped us tromp through the jungle in raincoat and runners!
He also does Belem, Iquitos (Peru)
fishing and river expeditions
Rio et al
Rakel was our guide to and from Buzios. She speaks many languages and has travelled extensively through Europe, USA and SA. If she is already committed, she can find an equally good available guide.
When we were in Brazil, a private car and guide started at 250 Reals per day. Water, meals etc for all are your responsibility. Also, admissions for guide and yourselves. A larger vehicle also adds to the cost.
rakelhaesbaert@yahoo.com.br
Phone: 21-93365894
Manaus
Hugo Hoyos
hughoy@yahoo.com.br
phone: (cell) 55 92 9122-7523
Hugo was our guide on the Amazon Clipper and helped us tromp through the jungle in raincoat and runners!
He also does Belem, Iquitos (Peru)
fishing and river expeditions
BYE BYE BRAZIL
Even though we tried to detail our travels, we found as we were on our way to the next tour, we forgot lots of interesting tidbits, such as:
1. No matter the size, age or degree of pregnancy, the Brazilian women love their bikinis---hmm
2. Thank goodness for our buffeterias as $24 US for a hamburger at the Copacabana Palace was just a little too steep for our pocketbook but the Arab restaurant we found nearby was just as advertised in Fodder´s--great. We found it as we left the Palace in shock.
3. Space is limited whether it is an apartment or the street. Parking lots are anywhere someone can put up a toll booth and offer space on a street. In fact, on our street such a parking lot was located. Would we trust a stranger with our car keys--well in Rio they do. Drop off your car with keys, let them park it and come back whenever. In the meantime your car is manuvered as necessary when others come after you.
4. We didn´t mention all the cruise ships that anchored not far off the Copacabana beach for all their passengers to get a terrific view of the New Year's Eve fireworks. If you are planning a cruise in this area, remember this!
5. Terrible mud slide not far from Rio because of the crazy rains they had Dec. 30 and 31. It was on CNN Europe, but not sure it was shown at home. We watched the rescuers retrieve a 3 year old from the muddy rubble.
6. Security is everywhere! Each apartment building has a locked entry with 24 hour staffing, our hotel had 2 people at night, businesses have their own security guards etc.
Our fondest memories of Brazil include driving through a rainshower of yellow butterflies in Iguacu National Park, eating breakfast in the Vila de Este dining room on the hill overlooking Buzios Bay, sitting in solitary splendor on the deck of the Amazon Clipper imagining we owned it and walking down Copacabana Beach every day.
Bye the way, the only nude beach in Brazil is in Buzios.
On the whole, the ladies of B.A. are more stylish than those of Rio BUT Lynne still mourns the fabulous purse she found in a basement boutique at the shopping centre near the Continental Hotel in Iguacu...which she did not buy as there was no room in her suitcase.
1. No matter the size, age or degree of pregnancy, the Brazilian women love their bikinis---hmm
2. Thank goodness for our buffeterias as $24 US for a hamburger at the Copacabana Palace was just a little too steep for our pocketbook but the Arab restaurant we found nearby was just as advertised in Fodder´s--great. We found it as we left the Palace in shock.
3. Space is limited whether it is an apartment or the street. Parking lots are anywhere someone can put up a toll booth and offer space on a street. In fact, on our street such a parking lot was located. Would we trust a stranger with our car keys--well in Rio they do. Drop off your car with keys, let them park it and come back whenever. In the meantime your car is manuvered as necessary when others come after you.
4. We didn´t mention all the cruise ships that anchored not far off the Copacabana beach for all their passengers to get a terrific view of the New Year's Eve fireworks. If you are planning a cruise in this area, remember this!
5. Terrible mud slide not far from Rio because of the crazy rains they had Dec. 30 and 31. It was on CNN Europe, but not sure it was shown at home. We watched the rescuers retrieve a 3 year old from the muddy rubble.
6. Security is everywhere! Each apartment building has a locked entry with 24 hour staffing, our hotel had 2 people at night, businesses have their own security guards etc.
Our fondest memories of Brazil include driving through a rainshower of yellow butterflies in Iguacu National Park, eating breakfast in the Vila de Este dining room on the hill overlooking Buzios Bay, sitting in solitary splendor on the deck of the Amazon Clipper imagining we owned it and walking down Copacabana Beach every day.
Bye the way, the only nude beach in Brazil is in Buzios.
On the whole, the ladies of B.A. are more stylish than those of Rio BUT Lynne still mourns the fabulous purse she found in a basement boutique at the shopping centre near the Continental Hotel in Iguacu...which she did not buy as there was no room in her suitcase.
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