The last couple of weeks have been packed. Included here is a quick taster of a few of the touristic highlights.
First there was the Nazca lines. In the middle of a desert, from the ground they simply look like strange dents in the ground, but from above, hundreds of metres in the air, these lines become shapes which represent well defined images. The best way to view these lines is therefore from a mini private plane. It is believed these images were created many years ago as messages to God, who supposedly at the time would have been the only “being” able to view them from a sufficiently high point.
The plane was great. In order for people on both sides to get equal appreciation of these sights it was necessary to bank left and right repeatedly, up to 90 degrees, as we viewed over a dozen different patterns. I can confidently say that despite the sickly feeling that builds up in your stomach, it is definitely worth the suffering for the experience.
First there was the Nazca lines. In the middle of a desert, from the ground they simply look like strange dents in the ground, but from above, hundreds of metres in the air, these lines become shapes which represent well defined images. The best way to view these lines is therefore from a mini private plane. It is believed these images were created many years ago as messages to God, who supposedly at the time would have been the only “being” able to view them from a sufficiently high point.
The plane was great. In order for people on both sides to get equal appreciation of these sights it was necessary to bank left and right repeatedly, up to 90 degrees, as we viewed over a dozen different patterns. I can confidently say that despite the sickly feeling that builds up in your stomach, it is definitely worth the suffering for the experience.
The second highlight was biking from the top to the bottom of an enormous mountain. After reaching the bottom, with only one person suffering a bike-on-bus collision, we arrived to a quaint little village by the name of Yanque. Here we were fed well and spent the rest of the evening enjoying the boiling hot, outdoor natural springs. This was particularly satisfying when the weather was ideal for a hat, gloves and thermal underwear combo.
The next morning we were up early at 6, just in time to see the local children performing their weekly parade. Arguably an odd time to choose for a Saturday morning; a definite contrast to how I remember my childhood. An hour later we arrived at Colca Canyon, ready to see the condors rise up with the morning air. These amazing birds span a massive 3m and can weigh up to an average of 12kg; astonishing for any flying bird.
The next morning we were up early at 6, just in time to see the local children performing their weekly parade. Arguably an odd time to choose for a Saturday morning; a definite contrast to how I remember my childhood. An hour later we arrived at Colca Canyon, ready to see the condors rise up with the morning air. These amazing birds span a massive 3m and can weigh up to an average of 12kg; astonishing for any flying bird.
Lake Titicaca was our 3rd highlight. This massive lake that spans Peru and Bolivia, is home to the entirety of Bolivia´s, arguably pointless, navy (they have no coastline). In the centre here are the floating reed islands. These are man-made islands built entirely of reeds. A clever idea, as whenever a son grows old enough to move from home, he simply saws himself off a corner of the family island and floats away to live life in independent adulthood.
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