Man at work – Paracas national Reserve
Man at work
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Tag Archives: Peru
Machu Picchu
…I found myself staring at one of the most beautiful man made things ever built. A tribute to mankind… a human masterpiece. A melange of nature and natural structures altered and assembled by Inca’s…
I was most definitely shocked and in awe, goose bumped and gob smacked when the sun’s gentle yet persuading rays kindly ushered away the thick and extremely stubborn fog that had taken a strong stranglehold over the Inca Temple of Machu Picchu. Tears of joy slowly streamed down my cheeks. I found myself staring at one of the most beautiful man made monuments. A tribute to mankind… a human masterpiece. A melange of nature and natural materials altered and assembled by Inca’s into timeless structures.
Letty and I had an early start that day. W woke up at 4:00am to get our passes and catch the bus ups to the mountain top.
I must admit that leading up to this grandiose event, an overwhelming sense of bitter disappointment had come over me. We had travelled over 15,000 klms to see this timeless monument, and at 6:00am we could barely see past the tips of my shoes.
When the clouds dissipated into thin air at 8:30am and what lay beyond became visible, I asked myself – what were they thinking? What could possibly drive this far advanced Civil Engineering civilization to such extreme? I take my hat of to you, O Incas! Words can not describe how I felt that day, and I still feel the same now.
These few photos do not depict Machu Picchu in all its grandiosity. But will hopefully motivate you to make your way to Cuzco, and up the mountain side to Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes and Machu/Huayna Picchu.
Machu Picchu
Postcard from Peru – Part 2
“… If you wish to drive through Peru, you have to be very courageous. Actually, you must be extremely courageous and have a death wish. You must also have great big balls of steel, especially if you’re in a sedan, always give right of way to larger vehicles – this includes buses, trucks, mini-vans, mini-buses and donkey pulled chariots…”
So the second leg of the trip saw us drive in a northerly direction through the following towns:
- Lima -> Barranca -> Trujillo -> Huanchaco -> Chan Chan -> Chiclayo -> Lambayeque -> Trujillo -> Otuzco -> Trujillo –> Tortugas -> Lima.
Drive to Otuzco from Trujillo
The photos might look appealing, but I must put a strong “health and safety” warning out there. If you wish to drive through Peru, you have to be very courageous. Actually, you must be extremely courageous and have a death wish. You must also have great big balls of steel, especially if you’re in a sedan, always give right of way to larger vehicles – this includes buses, trucks, mini-vans, mini-buses and donkey pulled chariots. Most drivers have a lack of respect for the little people. Do not drive at night, and if you must, drive at 60 kph at most. We saw a black car with its headlights turned off overtaking a double decker bus. I tried to honk, flash my lights, do the finger, yell abuse from my car window and I was still forced onto the emergency shoulder “lane”.
Aside from those mishaps and unfortunate holiday adrenalin rushes, the overall experience was quite awesome (if you made it out alive). People were friendly and helpful, and they loved to stop for a chat.
On another note, I found the “Museo del Señor de Sipan” in Lambayeque to be absolutely spectacular. The old ruins of Chan Chan were something from another planet – reminiscent of the sandmen from Star Wars… and Otuzco with its religious tradition – devoted followers of the Virgin “de la puerta” (of the door/gate) who crawl 70 kilometres on their knees from Trujillo to Otuzco…
.. and here are the photos that you’ve all been waiting for:
Street workout in Lima
Chin ups…
The Flash and Minnie
At the Huaral intersection on the Panamerican Norte highway
La Iglesia
Chan Chan
Chan Chan
Huanchaco
Huanchaco beach
Pelicans
Fisherman trying to dry his “Horse” and chase off pelicans at the same time
Caballos de Totoro
Until the last burnt bullet, we’ll be victorious
Tennis balls at “El Country”
Having a snooze
Museo Señor de Sipan
Sugar Cane
3 wheeled motion
Grid
Sheep up in Pagash
Beautiful view on the way to Otuzco
Yellow chili field in Pagash
Welcome to Pagash
Waterfall bridge
Candles in Church
Otuzco iglesia
La Virgen de la Puera – Otuzco
Restaurant “The Turkey” – where I ate guinea pig
Otuzco street
Junior and Joseph
Rain is coming
View from hilltop in Otuzco
Waiting…
Road fatalities
Trujillo outskirts
Sunset over Trujillo
Concordia juice – Yum!
Tortugas playground
Tortugas beach
Tortugas
More road fatalities
I assume these are husband and wife?
Right turn – The Goonies?
Postcard from Peru – Part 1
My beautiful wife and I travelled to Peru and we visited many places, saw many things and ate countless Peruvian dishes… The photos from the trip will be posted in two parts as there are way too many photos to post in a single blog entry.
The first leg of the trip took us on this wonderful journey:
- Lima -> San Vincente de Cañete -> Lunahuaná -> Chincha -> El Carmen -> Ica -> Arequipa -> El Cañon del Colca -> Chivay -> Arequipa -> Puno -> Lake Titicaca (Los Uros, Amantani, Taquile) -> Puno -> Cusco -> Ollantaytambo -> Aguas Calientes -> Machu Picchu -> Cusco – > Lima.
The photos below show the above trip in chronological order.
Inca Cola
Street Vendor
Lima beach…
Can’t decvide
Taking a nap.
Peruvian coat of arms
View over Lima
Laundry
Love
Plaza de Armas, Lima
Chinese roasting box
Raj – 3 wheeled motorised taxi
Villasol
Quad for hire
Can’t decide
Aji de Pacaran – Lunahuana
Lunahuana
Burros
En camino para Chincha
Plaza de Armas, El Carmen
El Carmen, Chincha
Safe zone
Ica
Bingo!
Arequipa
Arequipa
Casa del fundador
Casa del fundador
Stone Wall
Garden at the Molino
Garden at the Molino – Arequipa
Breakdancing in the streets
Coca lollypop – ready for altitude… or should it be attitude?
On the way to Chivay
Condor and Moon
The Condors ready to eat tourists
WARNING!! – Giant condors flying overhead
Fence security.
Village of Yanque
El Cañon Del Colca
El Cañon Del Colca
El Cañon Del Colca
Cañon Del Colca
Cañon Del Colca
Cañon Del Colca
String line in Chivay
straight wall
The dancers
Pizzeria el Horno- Chivay
Wititi Warriors band
Arequipa plaza de armas
Arequipa iglesia
Cemetary – Arequipa
Welcoming committee
Isla Los Uros
Leo on the floating island of Los Uros
Welcome to Amantani
Carlos and Jerry
Mama Justina and Gary
Isla de Taquile
Taquile
Taquile
white toenails – foot
Puno, Peru
Puno
Heading back to Puno
Titicaca
Lago Titicaca
Lago Titicaca
Puno marina
Puno lighthouse
Cusco – plaza de armas
El Puma
stone wall
Snakes around the door
seismic safe zone
Old door
Bembo’s sauce
Looking over the plaza de armas
Tradition meets technology
Viva El Peru
Traditional clothing
Ring around the sun
Baby Alpaca (let’s get some wool?)
Pisaq
Alpacas
Inka trail (by Inca Rail)
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Dancers at the Cusqo national patrimony
Barranco, Lima
Herradura beach, Lima
More Herradura
Bins by the beach – colourcoded
Old house – Barranco
Spikey tree
Banksy?? Deep and meaningful
El Campo De Marte, Lima (Jesus Maria)
El Convento De Santa Catalina
“Silent women? Go figure!”
If you enjoy peace and quiet, then you’ve probably not come to the right place. Going back hundreds of years ago, it may have been one of the most peaceful places on the planet as it was full of nuns who had vowed silence. Silent women? Go figure! These days, the Santa Catalina Monastery is full of annoying and loud tourists that get in your way when you try to take photos.
Apart from the above, I love old style Spanish architecture and gardenscape design concepts. I had a blast taking photos of pots, walls and doors. Yes, believe it. I also gawked in dumbfoundedness at the way they (not sure if it was the nuns or modern day gardeners) used lantana plants to decorate some walls (as climbing vines) as they are considered a weed and pest in Australia and most gardeners can’t cut these down fast enough.
