On The Road This is a work in progress of past adventures, after the trips have come and gone. I travel every 11 weeks for 18 days, and love to give back to the travel community with information that may help others have a great adventure of their own!

Lima - Pisco - Arerquipa - Colca Canyon - Puno - Cusco - Machu Picchu - Cusco - Lima

The altitude on this trip runs from sea-level to 3,856 m in Puno. It is common to feel a minor headache for a few days while adjusting. 

Lima
Arrived in Lima, Peru in the late evening. Took a taxi from the airport to a hotel in an area called Miraflores and settled in.

Toured Lima the following day. Was surprised at how nice the city was, particularly the cliffs by the coast.

Pisco/Ballestas Islands
From Lima, I took a bus to Pisco, jumping off point to the Ballestas Islands.

Booked the island trip, and headed out next morning. Spent the morning on the boat touring the Ballestas Islands, which are awash with sea lions and bird life. Then did a desert walk in the heat of the afternoon. The Ballesta Islands lie a short distance off the Peruvian coast south of Lima, and I made a trip to see them on a speedboat which in itself was a fun trip over occasionally rough water.

On the way to the islands themselves we passed the candelabra, a pattern etched into the sand and rock of a small island just off the coast. One of those mysteries that nobody can solve!

Then we reached the islands and circled around them in the boat for a good length of time. These islands are a paradise for birds and a large colony of sea lions all of which could be seen really close. 

Arequipa

From Pisco, I headed by bus to Arequipa (the White City), a beautiful colonial city. Arequipa was founded in 1540 and is full of beautiful stone colonial buildings made from a white stone called sillar, which was quarried locally. The colonial center, situated around the huge Plaza de Armas, is beautiful. Arequipa also sits in the shadow of several huge volcanoes, the Misti, the Chachani and the Pichupichu. 

Colca Canyon
Purchased a tour of Colca Canyon where wild Andean condors fly. Andean condors are the largest of their type, having wing spans of over 10 feet in length. They are majestic creatures, and everbody wants to spot one. Went by minivan, and made our way up, stopping to have some coca tea. The coca leaf is the ultimate symbol of everyday sanctity in Peru. Brewed for tea, it makes life in the Andes tolerable in spite of the cold and altitude. 

I was excited about seeing the canyon and possibly seeing a condor. After a breathtaking drive, our tour group arrived at an overlook. After a couple of hours of patiently watching, we saw several condors! Seeing them fly amongst the amazing landscape made the early mornings so worth it.

Scenery on the drive was amazing. We were lucky enough to see many wild vicuñas at 3800 meters above sea level on the altiplano. We arrived in Chivay, attended a dinner and then soaked in some steaming hot natural springs nearby. All very relaxing.

Puno / Lake Titicaca
From Arequipa, it was off to Puno, on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. This huge lake is the main draw, and it is sacred to the Incas. 

The alarm woke me at 5:45am, and I showered, ate breakfast, and walked to the docks, where we got a boat at 7:45am headed to Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca, which is a 3 1/2-hour boat ride from Puno. Luckily the boat happened to be stopping at the floating islands of Uros for a half hour, which is really all you need there. 

Unlike Taquile Island, the islands of Uros, of which there are over 40, are manmade islands created from reeds that grow naturally near Puno on the banks of Lake Titicaca. The Uros indigenous people were originally forced onto the lake as the Incans pushed further into their territory.

The Uros people make their homes, their furniture and their boats out of the reeds. They also eat the tender bottoms of the reeds. Because the reeds rot so quickly, especially during rainy season, the islands must be constantly maintained by replacing the reeds. A few hundred people still live on the islands.  

After that, we rode the boat, which was principally a boat used to transport goods to the people that live on Taquile Island, for another 3 1/2 hours across Lake Titicaca. We arrived at Taquile Island, which is an island with a population of 1,700, and hiked to the top of a hill and had lunch overlooking Lake Titicaca. We ate trout, rice and papas fritas. I then walked around the island for a couple of hours and caught the boat back (another 3 1/2 hours).

We arrived back in Puno and had a nice dinner and a walkaround the downtown area.

The next part of the trip was to head into the land of the Incas, where it is impossible to wander through thin-aired Cuzco and lofty Machu Picchu and not understand the Incas’s need to venerate nature through elaborate stone arrangements, complex architectural constructs and sculptural models of their surroundings. Pumas, condors, rainbows, and rivers are all sacred, and each finds homage in Peru’s deserted ruins.

Cuzco / Machu Picchu
From Puno, took a bus to Cuzco, a beautiful colonial city. The square of Cusco is very European and beautiful.

Purchased a tour of both the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. From Cusco, set off early for the Pisaq ruins, famous for its temples, agricultural terracing and Inca tombs that dot the hillsides. Spent the early afternoon in the famous Pisac market. Continuing into the Sacred Valley, we went on to explore the cobblestone streets of Ollantaytambo, which was built by the Incas. Our group toured the ruins, which were quite spectacular. Had some dinner, and waited for the very crowded Inca Train for the ride to Machu Picchu. Arrived early evening and stayed at a booked hotel just outside the ruins. Early next morning, made it up the winding road to Machu Picchu, where I spent all day walking and climbing around the ruins.

Flew from Cuzco back to Lima, where I stayed in the central part of the city. 

Headed for the airport early morning to return to Vancouver via Los Angeles.