peru part two

the dry and volcanic landscape outside peru’s second largest city, arequipa.

one of the world’s deepest canyons, canon del colca.

here we spend three days walkin’/relaxin’.

our friendly host in the bottom canyon village of san juan de chuccho.

a very steep and dusty three hour ascent back up.

la cathedral, plaza de armas, in arequipa.

a photo of a photo showing the volcanic rock called ‘sillar’ which many of arequipa’s colonial buildings were constructed with.

plaza de armas. nice.


gourmet birthday dinner. very very tasty.

happy birthday jenny!

the peak of chachani looms over the city. in ten hours I’ll be up there.

base camp.

we leave camp at 1am, walking slowly with our headlamps…stopping to watch the sunrise.

on the top at 6075m and feeling lightheaded/dizzy/ nauseous from the altitude.

great views though…


some of over 4000 varieties of potatoes available in peru.

inside the amazing monasterio de santa catalina. like a miniature city within arequipa with maze-like passages, flower filled courtyards, cute living quarters, and even an interesting history (for a nunnery).


initially only nuns came here from upper class spanish families. in this privileged nunnery each nun and one to four slaves…and would live it up with parties.





the centre of the inca empire (and mega tourist destination), cuzco.

llama.

overlooking cuzco.

plaza de armas from above.

iglesia de la compania de jesus.

huh?

a brilliant collection of artifacts at the museo de arte precolombino.

the moches peoples (200bc to 850ad) ceramics being the most impressive artistically and technically.



a local woman weaving the traditional way.

colourful textiles.

masterful inca stonework at qorikancha, the richest temple of the empire, and at one point the walls were lined with gold.

down the sacred valley from cuzco, we head to ollantaytambo. an inca fortress sits above the village on the right.

ollantaytambo is the best surviving example of inca city planning with a grid of narrow cobblestone streets.

on the train to aquas calientes, aka machu picchu pueblo.

THE VIEW. machu picchu its every bit as impressive as you would think. wayna picchu is the mound/peak top centre at the back of the ruins…which also has amazing views of the site.

the steep western side of the ruins with the rio urubamba far below.

looking up at where the ‘inca trail’ enters the site.

the view from atop wayna picchu.

grazin’ llamas.

on our way back to cuzco we stop in the village of pisac to check out the bustling sunday market.

back in cuzco.

on the bus to bolivia through some more beautiful scenery...