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Peru is the third largest country in South America.  There are three different regions – the coastal strip, the Andes and the Amazon.  On this trip we focused on the coast and the Andes since we had been to Amazonas in Venezuela.  We began our trip in Lima and returned for several nights there.  Lima is the capital of Peru and was founded in 1535.  Built on both sides of the Rimac River, Lima is a combination of colonial buildings sprinkled with a few new soaring modern skyscrapers.  

The first region of the country we explored was near the towns of Chiclayo and Trujillo, both being approximately a one hour flight from Lima.  They are located in the narrow desert strip along the northern coast of Peru.  This area was the center of the pre-Incan Chimu and Moche civilizations.  Representative of the Moche culture, the treasures unearthed in the nearly 2,000 year old Tomb of the Lord of Sipan (near Chiclayo) include exquisite detailed objects of gold, silver, copper and other metals plus precious stores.  The Bruning Museum houses these treasures.  We thought many of these objects rivaled the treasures found in King Tut's tomb.  Near the city of Trujillo are the famous Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon which feature incredible mosaics from the Chimu kingdom.  Also found nearby is the "mud city" of Chan Chan and other ruins of the Chimu culture from the 12th through 14th centuries. 

We next traveled to the Arequipa area, the town devastated by an earthquake on June 23.  Arequipa is known as the "White City" because of the use of local white volcanic stone as its primary building material.  Its two major attractions – the 16^th century Monastery of Santa Catalina and the Cathedral – were wonderful sights for us but have now been severely damaged.  Accessible from Arequipa by car two hours north is the spectacular Colca Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in the world.  Apart from terrific scenery, we also had the opportunity to watch the Andean Condor, with wing spans of 10', ride the canyon's thermals and soar high into the sky. 

Cuzco, the Andean city that served as our base before and after we trekked the ancient Inca Trail, was our next destination.  Cuzco, situated at 11,200 feet, was the ancient capital of the Incas and is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere.  After spending two nights here (to help acclimate and enjoy the unique blend of Incan/Spanish culture), we began the trek. 

Our first day of the 4-day trek was the easiest.  We began by taking a train ride to Chillca, and started the trek along fairly level terrain beside the Urubamba River.  However, for the remaining 3 days, we climbed along the ancient ridge-top route taken by the Incas on their pilgrimages.  The trail is a magnificent walkway of stones, stairway and tunnels (and, of course, just some plain walking paths) that traverse the ridges high above the Urubamba River in cloud forest.  Various archaeological remains of villages and strongholds are found along the trail such as Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca.  In the course of the trek, we climbed three passes.  The first, Warmihuanusca ("Dead Woman") was at 13,766 ft., the highest on the trail.  We also had two more passes (on the same day as Dead Woman), at 13,120 ft. and 12,234 ft. We camped in tents and slept in sleeping bags (which we had to bring). The second night out the temperature hovered just above freezing. In all we hiked only about 25 miles but at high altitudes. 

Our reward came at the end of our third day, when we reached Intipunku, the "Gate of the Sun," and had our first spectacular view looking down upon Machu Picchu thousands of feet below.  Unbelievable!  The stone walls of the ancient city are an incredible sight and attest to the advancement of the Incan civilization.  We spent the following morning/afternoon exploring Machu Picchu before taking a train the whole way back to Cuzco.  Yes, you can see Machu Picchu without trekking but we're convinced it wouldn't be the same experience!! 

We then returned to Lima for a final night in Peru.  It's a wonderful country with incredible diversity.  Apart from Machu Picchu, it has yet to be fully developed for tourism.  As such, it offers a unique opportunity to view ruins and nature without hoards of other tourists.  It also represents a great value.  So, go and enjoy – we certainly did!! 

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LIMA

CHICLAYO

TRUJILLO

AREQUIPA

COLCA CANYON

CUZCO

INCA TRAIL TREK & MACHU PICCHU

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