Mary's Travels to Peru

I woke at 4 am for our early flight to Lima via Salt Lake and Atlanta. We didn't know it yet, but this would be the start of many pre-dawn departures so it was good to get prepared from the start. The flight went smoothly for a change- no missed connections and our bags were even waiting for us when we arrived in Lima- what a treat after our last …

The next morning we slept late and then stumbled downstairs to meet our group. I had been a bit wary of what they would be like- two middle aged Germans currently living in Chicago, a Malaysian family with an 11 year old girl, a young Texan man, and a woman from the remote Highlands of Scotland. It sounded like a challenging mix of different …

We awoke to meet our first local guide and take our mini-bus out to the port where we would board a boat bound for Islas Ballestas. The two hour ride out to the islands was a chilly, windy affair bouncing across two foot swells on our 20 passenger speed boat. We were anxious to see our first real "sights" and were not disappointed as we …

We awoke for the experience I had most been looking forward to, a flight over the enigmatic Nazca lines. I anxiously waited my turn in the small airport terminal, watching a video that described the creation of the lines and various theories of their origins. I excitedly boarded the front seat of the three passenger Cessna and smiled with glee as …

Arequipa was the city we had especially anticipated as Carlos was from the area and assured us that there was no nicer city in Peru. Arequipa did not disappoint, with many more flowers, clear skies, and stunning volcanic vistas on the outskirts. The whole city seemed fresh, alive, and welcoming. We stopped at a viewpoint for fresh squeezed papaya …

After a good night's sleep, we boarded a mini-bus for the 5 hour ride to Colca Canyon. Once known as the world's deepest canyon, it is now determined to be second in scale only to a nearly inaccessible canyon on the other side of the mountain range that runs along the Southern border of Colca Canyon. The ride to the canyon along predominantly dirt …

Today, we headed straight to the Cruz del Condor, the most common lookout for spotting these magnificent birds. The condors had not yet arrived so we did a short hike around the area, admiring the depths of the canyon. Steve began to feel a bit ill from the altitude and eventually headed back to the bus where Carlos gave him oxygen and instructed …

The next afternoon we arrived in Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Steve was still feeling a bit ill from the altitude so he decided to stay another night in the hotel there while we all traveled out to our homestay on Amantani Island. Enroute we stopped at the famous Uros Islands, constructed entirely of reeds. Now the islands have become more …

The next day we visited Taquile Island where the men weave all of their wives' garments and hence are rarely seen without a ball of yarn and a half finished weaving. Similarly, the women spin the yarn and are equally busy as they walk up and down the hills, spinning yarn without even looking down. The Taquile women are noticeably more shy than the …