After 11 flights, 2 train trips, 2 bus trips, 2 days of hired drivers, 12 hours on speedboats on the Amazon, and 9 different hotel stays, I am home. The ONLY variance from plan was one flight that was 30 minutes late! All else was totally on schedule. I highly recommend Peru as a travel destination. After …
One of my two key objectives in my Peru trip was to see and try to experience the Amazon. Even though over half of Peru’s total land mass is the Amazon, it seems totally removed from the balance of the country. When we think of the Amazon, it usually is tied to Brazil, but …
Lima is a city of 10 million people, with even less mass transit than Seattle. So, the biggest challenge is just getting around. Nearly every vehicle is a taxi, none with meters so each trip is negotiated. That itself is not an issue as the rates are very inexpensive, but the trips take a …
Watch here for more posts now that I have some degree of a connection. “Quiz Time” was the first in the back log.
Ok, time for some quizzes. Here is a chance to be the life of the cocktail party. (LOL) And a chance to win totally not-valuable prizes. Like Peruvian coins if I end up with any, or something else essentially worthless. Quiz 1: Lima is the second driest capital in the world. What is number …
Chachapoyas is truly remote. It has one paved road into it, and all others are gravel or worse. The choice of airports is Terapoto, 7 hours away, or Chiclayo, about 9 hours not counting road slide delays. It seems they built an airport in Chachapoyas for the tourists, but the runway is 70’ too …
Continue reading “6:30 PM flight? Your airport pick up will be at 8:30 AM, 10 hours in advance.”
Karajia is one of the other top sites in the Chachapoyas area. It is an astounding collection of six sarcophagi that are 1000-1300 years old and perched high up a cliff eerily staring at the valley and river below. They include clearly visible skulls above two of them, thought to be warriors with their …
Easily the second finest ruin in Peru after Machu Picchu, Kuelap is situated high on a bluff at about 9,900’ elevation. It dated from AD 500 and is extremely well preserved, having just been cleaned up and opened in the past 30 years. Part of it’s uniqueness and attraction is that so little is …
Wednesday was my day to drive with Juan from Chiclayo on the coast over the Andes and into the interior Andean area of Chachapoyas. We planned 8.5 hours for the trip. Juan knew no English and me no Spanish, so he decided it was a good time to teach me. It was pretty funny …
In a word, GO. It is one of the truly amazing experiences in the world. But, that said, here is some advice. Do not give it just one day, as the weather can be very unpredictable. If you do not want to do the adjacent Sanctuary lodge thing, and it is not necessary at …