Lima, Peru. City Tour. 25th April 2017

Tuesday 25^th April 2017

Lima, Peru

Walking tour of downtown Lima and the city's historical centre - Plaza Mayor, Cathedral, which houses the remains of Lima's founder, Francisco Pizarro. Some lovely buildings within the central squares, but what was shocking was that only some of the ground floors were being utilised, and floors above were empty/derelict. The holes in rooves were not so much an issue – only 20cm rain per year – but there didn’t appear to be squatters, and the centre of a city was completely underutilised. Also riot cops standing on the edge of the squares expecting demonstrations were a little daunting, but they were friendly and posed for pictures.  Visited Museo Larco – beautiful bougainvillea and cacti surrounding the private museum absolutely loaded with pottery, silver/gold ware from 3000 BC to Inca.  Astounded by the level of delicacy and detail on the potteryware which showed the way of living of pre-Inca civilisation. We were wondering how stories were passed through the generations with no form of writing, but the pottery, and use of knots in string for calculations/ statistics, showed how they managed.  Lunch at the museum – pisco sours to start, French onion soup, chicken with mixed veg and passion fruit tart.  Very tasty in gorgeous surrounds.  Quick drive back along very dodgy-looking sand cliffs backing Lima’s beaches.  Not an area for swimming – lots of mud in the water from reclamation, in addition to the Humboult cold currents. 

Back for relaxing afternoon catching up on blog. Couple of bottles of wine demolished with Ed and Judy.   

Overnight Hotel Monte Real, Miraflores.

Pisco to Lima, Peru. 24th April 2017

Monday 24^th April

Pisco to Lima

The sightseeing tour was a low-budget sort of thing as not much to see. The blue and white church was pretty much condemned due to an earthquake about 10 years ago at 6pm in evening. The cathedral beside had completely fallen down, killing hundreds of parishioners, and had been rebuilt in modern and boring brick.

We bought a new carry-on bag to take all of our excess luggage we’ve been starting to acquire.

 

 

At 1300 we took the bus from Pisco to Lima, which took about 4 hours. Again, hot lunch was included and a soft drink. No alcohol allowed, and all hand baggage and ourselves searched before entry. Also we were all video’d once in our seats – not quite sure of the reason, but good for DVI !!!

Collected by a very good guide, Alex (Alehandro?), who sounded like Vin Diesel, and taken to Hotel Monte Real.  Did a load of washing of all clothes, and found later that not allowed in rooms!  Set up the fan to try and dry it off in bathroom before we were fined.

Very posh evening out at Huaca Pucllana restaurant - on the terrace overlooking a great adobe and clay pyramid built from seven staggered platforms. This was a Fifth century important ceremonial and administrative centre, which sadly was allowed to fall into disrepair. Luckily it is now being protected and was very impressive all lit up as our backdrop. 

Dinner of pisco sours, mixed salad with goats cheese, trout with a sesame crust on mash, chocolate bombe pudding. Lots of very clean and neat people around us but we scrubbed up fairly well....

 

Nazca Lines flight. To Pisco. 23rd April 2017

Sunday 23^rd April

Nazca Lines. To Pisco

Early flight over Nazca Lines. Little airport with lots of different airlines all vying for business.  All had to be weighed (ouch) to sort out who sat where.   30 minute flight (about $100) with 9 tourists plus two pilots. They took us in a set route across the main diagrams in the desert, banking steeply to left and right over each one so we all had a good view.

Good view of hummingbird, spider, lots of straight ‘landing strips’ and what I thought was a very dodgy astronaut/alien.

Found out that there was another tribe who also had similar diagrams, with big eyes for all-seeing, large head for intelligence etc, and therefore was not a recent addition for the alien conspiracy theory. The trip was sadly all-to-short and the whole place was littered with various diagrams and lines. 

 

 

We then spent a little extra to take a tour to see ‘the needle’ up close. The rough brown desert floor had been measured with stones and then scraped down a couple of inches to the white gypsum underneath.  With no rain and little winds, the dew from the desert then set the gypsum to a solid layer, hence why the diagrams remain after all these years. 

We also visited a series of wells which harnessed the springs from the mountains and gave access for the population to get water and also crawl between the holes and clear out any blocking vegetation.  A massive construction effort with large round stones collected from the river to line the canals and watering holes.  Very efficient. 

Taken to bus station for public bus (very posh) from Nazca to Pisco.  Bespoke films on board and lunch of chicken/rice and pudding supplied.  Took about 4 hrs.   Stayed in Hotel Residencial San Jorge, which had a cool swimming pool.  A dip ensued, just long enough for a Pisco sour to be constructed.  We were going to eat at the hotel, but service was rubbish so against our guide's advice ‘don’t go out after dark…’  we all wandered into town to find a real family-friendly evening underway.  Good party atmosphere for a Sunday evening  We appeared to be the only tourists and managed to find a family run café which provided Iain with a two course meal – salad and meat/noodles for 10 solas. No beers, so lady ran across road to an off-licence and supplied us with requisite cold beers for our meals. Good atmosphere and staggered back full and happy. 

Arequipa to Nazca, Peru. 22nd April 2017

Saturday 22^nd April

Arequipa to Nazca, Peru

Bus didn’t leave until lunchtime, so we had a short city tour of Arequipa planned.  I bought an alpaca scarf as a nice souvenir. 

Jude and I went to visit the indoor market first, loaded with fruit and smoothies, as well as usual butchers and all-sorts. On way back had a nice smoothie before joining the gang at the cathedral.  The guide wasn’t happy that we were a couple of minutes late. Shame. 

 

Another guide showed us around and then up onto the roof which gave an excellent view over the city and arcades around the square,  and to the volcanos in the distance.  

Then back to hotel to collect Iain and Terry who had wanted to stay with all our luggage, and who gave very direct feedback re the guide service!  Transferred to bus from Arequipa to Nazca which took at least 9 hours, full lunch and sandwich tea supplied.   Luckily the Hotel Alegria was right opposite the bus station so we only had to stagger a few yards to the hotel and into bed. 

 

Colca Canyon. Condor city. 21st April

Friday 21^st April

Colca Canyon.  Woke earlyish and made our way to a viewpoint in Colca Canyon to see Condors flying in their morning routine.

 

 

From a slow start, there was suddenly about 7 young (brown) and older (black and white) Condors, one of which was being warned off by a brave eagle. We stayed until about 10am, mesmerised by the elegance of these creatures.

Descended to Chivay town which was a bit ramshackle and very ‘touristy’ with the sellers and unfortunately people wanting money for photo with alpacas or an eagle. We declined.

 

 

 

Returned to Arequipa, Hotel Plaza Residence, where we had left our main bags.  Sadly the Roman bath spa underneath was out of action.

Arequipa to Colca Canyon. Volcanos and Hot Springs. 20th April.

Thursday 20^th April 2017

Arequipa to Colca Canyon

 

 

Early start with minivan to Chivay (approx 5 hrs), around to the backside of the three main volcanos.  

 

 

Along the way we saw llamas, alpacas and vicunas. Iain had a vicuna (in a herd of alpacas) take a fancy to him which was quite funny – ‘no, no, no’ when it stuck its nose into his camera bag.

 

Lots of stops for panoramic photos of terraces, valleys and canyons, including Patapampa (the highest place at 4800 m above sea level). Only problem was our guide – ‘remember’/’any questions?’ (one nanosecond break) ‘No’, ‘Vamos’…..

 

Stopped at a couple of villages and ruins.  In one we visited a family home and saw their little kitchen, outside sink and rented ‘homestay’ room which was very basic but nice. The elderly grandma and daughter demonstrated how they spun alpaca wool and made various bits of clothing. I bought a pair of gloves for 20 solas, mainly to show them some support.  Lovely family, very friendly.

 

 

Overnight stay at the gorgeous Colca Lodge. Even though it was dark when we arrived, we immediately changed (wearing the hotel white robes) and walked down to the hot springs owned by the hotel. Water was 36-41 degrees and with a bar alongside, we supped pisco sours whilst relaxing in the hot waters and watching the stars. Saw two shooting stars.

Dinner was superb.  Bottle of wine shared with gang on our terrace. Nice.

Cusco to Arequipa - 19th April 2017

Wednesday 19^th April 2017

Fly Cusco to Arequipa

 

Up 5.30. Ouch. Easy transfer as Cusco Airport in centre of town. Which is weird when you take off and the houses are either side of runway. Very dodgy, especially with huge mountains surrounding the city. Quick flight. Landed too early to check into hotel so pulled the city tour forward – couple of good viewpoints overlooking the three volcanos. Two extinct, one active – Misti – which is due to go off. Last time it erupted was just after the last sacrifice of a virgin girl by the Incas.  Weather back to being hot and dry.

Houses here are divided into three sections – those in C don’t complete the house as they will get taxed, but not much facilities around. B houses again are incomplete but have markets around. ‘A’ houses are completed as they are taxed whether finished or not, are in decent town and have supermarkets available.  Immediate feeling of ‘openness’, no houses over two stories due to earthquakes and volcano issues, and lovely plazas surrounded by arched walkways.  Called the ‘white city’, not due to the white volcanic magma from which the buildings are constructed, but from the amount of ‘white’ Spanish settlers who outnumbered the indigenous population.  Also a few original pink buildings, but most destroyed by earthquakes.

 

Visited a couple of churches – interesting mix of Spanish/Catholic statues, but incorporating Inca signs of Puma, Snake, Condor and ‘mother earth’.

The 'Monastery of Santa Catalina' Convent was huge – a walled town within a city.  There used to be about 170 nuns but now just a handful.  A guide walked us around various rooms where the novices lived for 4 years, being shut into their one bedroomed sparse rooms for 20 hours a day, 4 hours study and confession each day – what can you confess to??? Any ‘visits’ were monthly where they could not see the visitor. Gifts would be supplied by a revolving wooden cupboard affair, so they could hear the person and potentially receive provisions.  Sometimes a child would arrive this way and be brought up an orphan to become a nun/priest.  Once a nun, they had a promotion to better rooms (still very Spartan) with their own crockery and a servant in adjoining room. The second daughter was deemed to be the nun in the family.  Very austere conditions. Shocking to see that also self-flagellation on weekly basis was expected.

On to lunch at a Mexican restaurant – condor. Had a mixed lunch of stuffed peppers, cheese/potato, beef and rice, washed down with Chi-cha.  All felt knackered so back to hotel and couple of hours kip before meeting in hotel lounge for wine and nibbles. Started to catch up on over a weeks blog.