Riding the Andean Explorer Train Through The Andes

Peru Rail Andean Explorer going through Puno in Peru, South America

After a night of heavy rains, Bob and I departed Puno aboard PeruRail’s Andean Explorer headed through the Andes Mountains for Cusco.  Our early-morning departure soon left behind the very wet world of the village of Puno. Read more

Our Visit To The Floating Islands On Lake Titicaca

Uros village on a totora reed floating island on Lake Titicaca in Peru, South America

On our first morning in Puno, we found that the clouds were hanging low and grey; it was a cold world.  We had come prepared for this sort of weather, so our spirits were high as we walked towards Puno’s harbour on Lake Titicaca.   Cold weather is quite the norm in the Lake Titicaca area because  the cold winds that blow over the lake result in an average temperature, in the warm months of the year, of 10-14C, (50-57F).   Having warm clothing is a must. Read more

Our Travels To Puno On Lake Titicaca

hills and village of puno - peru

El Misti volcano near Arequipa, Peru, South America

It was an earlier start to the day as we made our way to the Arequipa airport to catch a flight across the Andes Mountains to Puno on Lake Titicaca in Peru.  On our drive to the airport we had a chance to see the beautiful, conical, snow-capped volcano known as El Misti. Read more

Arequipa, the White Stone City

Catedral de la ciudad de Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru

Cathedral, Plaza de Armas, Arequipa, Peru

Bright sunshine greeted us when Bob and I awoke in Arequipa, Peru at 6:30 a.m.  It is amazing how a little sunlight can change the face of a place.  When we emerged from our hotel with a city map in hand, the cobbled streets and high walls seemed less daunting than when we arrived in the dark the night before. Read more

Our Drive On The Pan American Highway to Arequipa

desert along pan american highway near nazca peru - frame to frame

Our destination heading south from Nazca on the Pan American Highway in Peru was the city of Arequipa.  At 556 kilometers from Nazca, we figured the drive should take us about 6 hours and put us in Arequipa well before dark.  The day’s drive, however, sure proved that calculation to be wrong.

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Nazca Gold Processing – The Ancient Method by Foot

Gold being processed by foot in Nazca, Peru

Stone boulder used to process gold by foot in Nazca, Peru

After visiting the Chauchilla Cemetery, our guide, Hilda, recommended a side trip to the Nazca Gold Processing plant in the village of Nazca.  Bob and I were very surprised to see that the processing is done by foot. Read more

Our flight over the Nazca Lines of Peru

Aerial view from an aircraft of line drawings at the Nazca Lines of Peru, South America

lineas de nazca sign - nazca desert - peru

Our drive from the town of Pisco, in Peru, towards the town of Nazca and the world famous Nazca Lines of Peru took us away from the coastline and gradually entered an area of totally different terrain. Read more

Our Drive To Paracas On The Pan American Highway

Pan American Highway south of Lima, Peru

With our rental car topped up with gas, Bob and I headed south from Lima into the desert along the Pan American Highway towards our next stop at the village of Paracas located 15 kilometres south of the town of Pisco, in Peru.  The Pan American Highway runs along the Pacific Ocean coastline and is bordered on the left by sweeping desert landscape.   Huge hills, dare I say mountains, of sand, bisected by valleys and gullies, dominate the countryside. Read more

Our Tour Of The Ruins of Pachacamac

Temple of Pachacamac ruins south of Lima in Peru, South America

Early on our second morning in Lima, Bob and I hired a driver to take us southeast of Lima to the Ruins of Pachacamac.  These ruins are some of the oldest pyramids uncovered from beneath the desert hills and dunes of Peru. To the casual eye, the 500 acres of this national museum and archaeological site just appear as a monotone conglomeration of crumbling adobe bricks.  Read more

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