Our last stop in Chile was Iquique, a historic wooden city with a Californian vibe right in the middle of the Atacama desert. We had heard that it was THE place to try paragliding, as they have the best all year round wind conditions in the world. We decided to take the plunge off the 600m cliff above the Atacama desert and enjoyed an exhilarating 30 minute flight before landing on a sandy beach. It was spellbinding, and we would love to return someday to enrol in paragliding school! We were really impressed with the amenities in Iquique along the sea front which included a world class skate park, bmx track and climbing wall. We also enjoyed chilling at the beach watching a surfing competition in the sunshine. After a Vancouver quality sushi feast it was time to say goodbye to Chile, one of our favourite countries in South America!
Last time we were in Peru, we had travelled through the Central Sierra to Cuzco and had missed Arequipa and the Nazca lines, so it was time to re-aquaint ourselves with the food, people and archaeology of this most hospitable Andean nation. Our first stop was Arequipa, a beautiful colonial city in the shadow of the magnificient Volcan Misti. We enjoyed exploring the centuries old Santa Catalina convent, one of Peru´s most stunning ecclesiastical buildings. We also indulged in the local cusine, a lip smacking rack of lamb and succulent alpaca steak. Ummmmm!
After a few days in Arequipa we had the opportunity to visit the Colca Canyon, the third deepest gash in the earth! It is home to beautiful Andean villages still using traditional agricultural methods, including impressive irrigated terracing (see picture above). The valley is also home to quite possibly the cutest camelids, we got very well acquainted with a baby alpaca who lived in the yard of the eco-lodge we were staying in. The baby alpaca was the softest most luxurious creature we had ever laid our hands upon, as you can see from the picture I was quite touched! We also had time to take in a ruined Inca settlement, hotsprings and the world famous Andean condor lookout `Cruz del Condor´. On the day we visited we were treated to a 10 condor strong aerial acrobatic extravaganza. It was an amazing spectacle.
Is it wise to trust your life to a Peruvian Cesna Plane, especially when 7 people died in a Nazca lines air crash in February of this year? We were somewhat concerned, but the opportunity to see perhaps the largest aerial archaelogical spectacle in the world was too good to miss. Thankfully the morning winds were calm and we had a pleasant smooth ride with no usage of the sick bag. The lines, up to 270m in length appeared smaller than we had imagined but the intricate designs were sharp and clear, even after a 1,500+ years of weathering. After much deliberation I have the opinion that they were definitely not created by aliens, perhaps they were used for a paleodesert-rave! Lydia liked the monkey and I liked the spider the best.
After the exhilerating flight we were to experience an equally exciting earthquake. While in our hotel we felt a rumble which we initally thought was a large lorry going past. Then there was a pause and this time the hotel shook even harder. With a moment of sudden realisation, we ran out of the door into the courtyard outside. Thankfully the earthquake was brief and no major damage was done. The following day we found out that the epicentre was in Ayacucho, 200km away, and reached 6.5 on the richter scale. This was appropriate timing as we were heading back to Pisco Sin Fronteras (An earthquake relief volunteer organisation) the following day!
Is it wise to trust your life to a Peruvian Cesna Plane, especially when 7 people died in a Nazca lines air crash in February of this year? We were somewhat concerned, but the opportunity to see perhaps the largest aerial archaelogical spectacle in the world was too good to miss. Thankfully the morning winds were calm and we had a pleasant smooth ride with no usage of the sick bag. The lines, up to 270m in length appeared smaller than we had imagined but the intricate designs were sharp and clear, even after a 1,500+ years of weathering. After much deliberation I have the opinion that they were definitely not created by aliens, perhaps they were used for a paleodesert-rave! Lydia liked the monkey and I liked the spider the best.
After the exhilerating flight we were to experience an equally exciting earthquake. While in our hotel we felt a rumble which we initally thought was a large lorry going past. Then there was a pause and this time the hotel shook even harder. With a moment of sudden realisation, we ran out of the door into the courtyard outside. Thankfully the earthquake was brief and no major damage was done. The following day we found out that the epicentre was in Ayacucho, 200km away, and reached 6.5 on the richter scale. This was appropriate timing as we were heading back to Pisco Sin Fronteras (An earthquake relief volunteer organisation) the following day!
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