Plans Change

Well, unfortunately we have had to postpone the trip we were planning to England/Holland. There are some unfortunate health issues that have come up. However, we have made other plans, Becky and I have decided to go to Peru. We had thought about going to Peru at the time we go to Antartica. But South America is too big to try to do everything at once, so we are going to first try Peru.

Some people may be wondering why Peru? The big attraction is Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. It was "discovered" in 1911 by an American Archeaologist, Hiram Bingam. Machu Picchu is located high in the Andes, perched just on the edge where the Andes give way to the Amazon Jungle. Anyway, if you have seen pictures of Machu Picchu you can understand the attraction. I would have liked to have done the 4 day/3 night trek along the Inca Trail, but we have opted for the 4 hour train ride instead.

So what else is in Peru. After doing a fair amount of research it turns out that Peru is a very interesting country. Here are some of the other sights we are pondering:

Cuzco - A large city that sits at over 11,000 feet above sea level. It was a large Inca settlement and then a Spanish colonial city. It is also the jumping off point for Machu Picchu.

The Sacred Valley - Interesting Inca Ruins in a valley in the midst of the Andes.

Amazon Jungle - Peru has preserved large tracts of pristine Amazon Jungle habitat. You can stay in a jungle lodge and view all sorts of wildlife. Tourism helps support the economy and may help prevent other destructive uses of the jungle. Monkeys, Three Toed Sloths, McCaws, and Tapirs all exist in the Peruvian Amazon. There are also Caimans, snakes, and mosquitos. You need Yellow Fever vaccinations and malaria pills. How can you say no to that!

Lake Titicaca - A huge lake resting at an elevation of just over 12,000 feet. It features native island settlements that have existed there for over 3,000 years. The natives make those colorful Peruvian garments, many live on floating islands that are built of reeds that grow in the lake.

Lima - The capital city of 8,000,000 people. Although there are some areas into which you don't want to venture (over 50% of Peruvians live in poverty), there are some nice areas that feature their world class cuisine along the Ocean front.

Nasca Lines - The peculiar lines drawn into the dessert by someone, or something? The lines are actually figures of things, such as a bird, spider, dog, tree, and astronaut. Astronaut? Yes that's what they call it. Which is why some people think they were made by aliens. The biggest one is 6 miles long and you need to view them from an airplane.

The Andes - Yes, many sites are in the Andes. But there are many other places to view the spectacular mountains. The highest peaks are over 20,000 feet high. If you take the train or bus from Lake Titicaca to Cuzco you travel along the crest of the Andes eventually negotiating a pass at over 14,000 feet. Not to worry, they give you coca tea for altitude sickness.

We have alredy bought our plane tickets. I am currently working on the itinerary and will share some of our options in the next post.