Exploring Peru

I'm way too excited for my trip to Peru in July and August. I'll be spending four weeks there- the first two by myself, solo-ing it in Lima, the Amazon jungle, and Colca Canyon. Here's a breakdown of what I have in mind:

1. Arrive in Lima, fly to Iquitos. Brief background on Iquitos:

• located in the Amazon basin
• located in northern Peru, in the east
• used to be a wealthy city due to a thriving rubber industry
• the famous Belen market is on a floating island
• Iquitos can be reached only by plane or boat (boat trip can take 3-7 days)
• in fact, it is the largest city in the world that is inaccessible by car
• its main industry is tourism
• close to 1,000 species live in or around Iquitos

2. Amazon jungle tour: I'll take a four or five day tour through the Amazon. Groups usually start out in Iquitos then boat two hours away to neighboring lodges. From each lodge travelers usually go on hikes through the jungle, bird watch, observe various species, swim with dolphins, catch fish, and take pictures with monkeys. Sounds fun to me. 

3. Fly from Iquitos to Arequipa. Spend two days in Arequipa acclimating. Brief background on Arequipa:

• known as the "White City"
• home to Peru's Constitutional Court
• second most industrialized city in the country
• UNESCO World Heritage Site
• home to 14 churches or temples, four chapels, five convents, and three monasteries
• starting point for Colca Canyon trek

4. Embark on Colca Canyon trek for three days and two nights: Colca Canyon is Peru's third-most visited tourist attraction, laying 100 miles north of Arequipa. It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. Hikers are picked up at 3 am from their hotel to travel to the valley. After lunch they begin a 4 hour descent to the floor of the canyon. Then hikers interact with the locals, enjoy dinner, and usually stay in a local family's house. On the second day hikers trek to the Andean village of Tapay. They then descend to the Cola River, arriving at an oasis. On the third day of the trek hikers embark on a three hour walk starting at 4 am. At Cruz del Condor they have the chance to admire the majestic flight of the Andean condor birds. Hikers travel to Chivay where they have the opportunity to visit the thermal baths of medicinal waters. Then hikers return to Arequipa. 

5. Take an overnight bus from Arequipa to Cusco- meet with my friend there. I'll finally meet with my friend Trevor in Cusco, the Inca capital. Brief overview of Cusco:

• in southeastern Peru next to the Andes mountain range
• UNESCO World Heritage Site
• historical capital of Peru
• surrounded by Incan ruins
• travel hub for adventures to Machu Picchu and related treks
• home to a magnificent Plaza de Armas
• rests at 11,000 feet

6. Hike the Salkantay trek (refer to my previous blog post)

7. Take an overnight bus from Cusco to Puno, the hometown of Lake Titicaca. Here's a brief overview of Lake Titicaca:

• on the border of Peru and Bolivia (Bolivian mountains can be seen from the lake)
• largest lake in South America by volume of water
• highest navigable lake in the world, resting at an elevation of 13,000 feet
• home to 44 artificial islands built by the Uros people
• the people of the Uros live on these islands
• artificial islands were built on bundle totora reeds
• islanders still maintain the bundled reeds, adding necessary amounts
• the Uros initially built the islands to prevent attacks from their neighbors, the Incans and Collas
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8. Fly from Juliaca (next to Lake Titicaca) back to Lima. Spend three days in Lima. We'll hopefully visit the Nazca lines, take a day tour of the capital, and stay in a fun party-atmosphered hostel to celebrate our grueling excursions down south. The Nazca lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert about 6 hours by car from Lima. They were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The arid plateau stretches more than 50 miles between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. Scholars believe that the lines were created by the Nazca culture between 400 and 650 AD (when airplanes did NOT exist!!!). The hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, and lizards. Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but in general they ascribe religious significance to them. 

Here's a brief overview of Lima:

• capital of Peru
• largest city in Peru, home to 9 million people
• in the central coastal part of the country overlooking the Pacific Ocean
• fifth largest city in the Americas
• founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro 
• around one-third of the Peruvian population lives in Lima's metropolitan area
• Limas has developed a huge tourism industry, characterized by its historic center (a World Heritage Site), archeological sites, nightlife, museums, art galleries, festivals, and traditions

After three days in Peru's capital we'll fly back to DC!! Can't wait to see what surprises Peru has in store for us. If I'm lucky enough to actually go, I'll be the first in my family to visit South America. Exciting stuff.