El alemán en Perú

Back home

2007-10-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm back in Germany, actually since last Sunday. I had a lot of stuff to take care of.

Okay, as this is going to be my last post, thanks again for reading my blog. Probably I will be back writing to you, someday.... perhaps from another South American country (Argentina and Chile).

Cya!

Farewell, Peru!

2007-10-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

we know all things come to an end. And so does my journey. Nevertheless, it's not an abrupt ending but a elongated one. Yesterday, my friends had organised a wonderful barbecue for me. Unfortunately it was overshadowed by the cold wind of goodbye (probably that's why I'm wearing a hat on every picture).

Today we went to a really nice and delicious buffet which can be seen as the final act of my trip. My plane leaves in about three hours. Everything is packed and I'm ready to leave.

I will miss you Peru, your inbelievably diverse and rich culture, all the beautiful sights I've visited, the tasty food, the friendly people, the matchless variety of nature, and, of course, I will miss my friends who were the bests hosts ever, supported me whenever they could and took a major part in making this journey one of the most interesting in my life.

Thank you, Christopher, Gaby,Juan and their respective families and, last but not least, thank you dear reader wherever you may be. I hope you liked my reports and now, perhaps, have some incentive to come to this incredible country I had the chance to travel through.

Cya!

Un otro mundo

2007-10-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

many days have passed since my last post but I'm back from an unbelievably adventurous, eventful but also exhausting trip which took me to wind-shaken mountain passes, dry plains and green rainforests. And, in the end, to Machu Picchu, the city in the mountains, the rooftop of the world, simply, a wonder of the world.

We were a group of six trekkers, Liam and Allison from Ireland, Jocelyn and Amandine from France, another Allison from the UK and me. Our guide's name was Clever (pronounced like Kleber in German or cleaver in English), a very nice and decent guy.

Our trekking tour started in a town or hamlet called Mollapata. The first day greeted us with warm weather, luckily. We would walk up some hills and through barren landscapes. Our meals were provided by two cooks, Fabian and his assistant, Sergio. The latter was just gorgeous. He was always running to meet our needs. Our large backpacks were carried by mules so we only had our daypacks with us during the day.

Our first destination was Soraypampa, a basecamp where a lot of treeking-groups stayed for the night. And what a cold one that was! I was wearing my track-suit, my alpaka-hat, gloves and lying in a feathered sleeping bag, but still, I was freezing a few times.

On the second day, the aim was to climb the 4600m high pass of the Salkantay mountain (over 6000m). In my opinion, this was physically the hardest part of the trip. Fortunately, the rest of the trail went downhill and through the rainforest. This fact is just amazing in Peru. You would walk over snow-topped mountains and, an hour later, you find yourself amidst tropical plants and flowers. Have a look at the photos!

After such an exhausting journey, you can imagine, that the next day would be a littlebit more relaxed. Nonetheless, we walked another five hours in the morning on marvellous paths through the rainforest (including breath-taking waterfalls). Then, a bus took us to the next camp, located in a town called Santa Teresa. In the evening, we visited the local hot springs and I can tell you, I felt as if newborn after a swim. I totally forgot to take photos there!

The one but last day began with an adventure. To cross the river adjecent to Santa Teresa we used something our guide referred to as a cable car. But, hey, don't mix this up with the ones in San Franciso! These were more or less hanging wires and we would sit in a little cage rattling over the rapid stream of the Rio Urubamba (very important river, also called sacred river by the Inkas). Nevertheless, it was fun and hell of an experience! After that, the tour continued on a dusty road until we reached a train station in the middle of nowhere to catch our connection to Aguas Calientes or Machu Picchu Pueblo. The final destination was near!

Aguas Calientes is a very special example of a touristic city. I would call it an agglomeration of restaurants, markets, internet cafés and vendors in general. A completely commercialised city. As every tourist on its way to Machu Picchu has to come through here, you may understand why. And the prices! Everthing is twice as expensive than in Cusco. However, what expected us on the fifth day compensated everything.

It's 5:30 a.m. in the morning. With half closed eyes I'm making my way, rather stumbling of excitement, to the bus stop for Machu Picchu. I'm expected. Not by anyone I know but a huge queue of people. It's one of this occasions in which you know everybody's thoughts are merely directed to the same thing.

And there they come: A huge stampede of buses, every single one ready to swallow a load of frenentic tourists. I'm in the second one. Will I make it up to Machu Picchu and see the sunrise? The bus is dragging us up a zig-zag road. The sun in our back. Don't you dare reach the city in the skies before me! We made it! It's there! Another world!

This is probably a rather true account of my feelings on the morning we went to Machu Picchu.

The latter is just unbelievable amazing. Despite the masses of tourists, it's still a place of utter grandeur. I've never seen something like this before in my life!

Machu Picchu is comprised of two major parts. An agricultural and an urban sector. In the former the Inkas cultivated potatoes and breeded alpakas or llamas (they didn't only eat them but used them as a sacrifice for the gods). In the urban sector you can find the house of the Inka (of course with ensuite bathroom), a cascade of fountains, a jail and the Intihuatana ("place where the sun is tied up), the main shrine of Machu Picchu. This stone is an Inka utility to forecast the solstice.

By the way, no one knows what Machu Picchu was built for. There are many theories, for example, that it was a kind of ancient spa, expecially for women. I really like this one!

After a thorough circuit, we climbed up an adjecent mountain, Wayna Picchu. The view from the top was just amazing and I spent more than two hours there exploring and simply lying on the ground reading and enjoying every moment at this monumental place. The way down to Machu Picchu again was adventurous, too.

I can't express it in words how fascinated I was and still am by this wonder of the world. I can only recommend you to experience it yourself.

I spent one more day in Cusco (for recovery!) but my thoughts were still with Machu Picchu, the definite highlight of my journey which is coming to an end, relentlessly. Right now, I'm in Lima again (after an 18 hours bus ride) writing you for the - probably - last but one time from Peru. For tonight, my friends have organised a farewell-party. I hope I'll be able to report you on this one tomorrow before I fly back to good old Germany.

Cya!

Trekking on one of the Inka's trails

2007-09-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm sorry but I don't have any fotos and storie for you today. I just wanted to tell you that I will be trekking to Machu Picchu the next four days. I won't be able to write you again before next thursday!

But, you can be sure I will take breath taking pictures!

Cya!

Valle Sagrado

2007-09-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

today I made a really special tour. I went to the famous sacred valley of the Urubamba river which features many important Inka towns alongside its meandering stream.

En route to the first settling we stopped at a touristic market (as always!) and unfortunately our bus had some mysterious damage (I couldn't figure out what it was) and we had to spend not only twenty minutes with these vultures jumping at tourists but more than an hour. Exhausting!

Anyway, our first interesting stop were the old Inka ruins in a city called Pisac. These are located on a pleateau and famous for the terraces used for farming. We also went up to some religious temples. Really interesting was one house - only ruins were left - which, in former times, had two windows. At the beginning of the dry season the light of the rising sun fell through one window and illuminated a stone in the middle of the room (vice versa for the rain season). I am always intrigued by this kind of "calenders". But also the view on other mountains was great and there was a path up a really high one, unfortunately I didn't have the time to climb up to the peak.

After lunch, the second Inka pueblo was waiting: Ollantaytambo. You won't believe it, but here people still live in the houses the Inkas had built! The major sight, however, is the fortress -overlooking the village - in which the last Inka king, Tupac Amaru (not Tupak Shakur!), fought against the Spanish. When visiting Inka architecture, you always wonder how they could drag these immense stones up the hills (the ones for Ollantaytambo came from another mountain 6km away!). Have a look at the pictures, can you make out the faces the Inkas carved in the adjecent mountain?

The last stop was in a city named Chinchero where the Inkas thought the rainbow was born. The latter was very important for them as they believed it was the connection between earth and sky. As it was already dark when we arrived we only visited a local texitle handcraft store and got a little demonstration on who ponchos, blankets, etc. are manufactured. The weavers there use different natural substances (lemons and cacti, for instance) to dye the alpaka or sheep wool.

After that we made our way home to Cusco where I will spend yet another day. And then? Well, check in tomorrow when I will disclose the final secrets of my journey.

Cya!

Cusco

2007-09-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

which culture comes to your mind when thinking of Peru? The Inkas, of course. Even though they only were one of many different cultures in Peru and additionally a quite short-lived their mastership in architecture and gold handcraft are matchless and tourists are still intrigued by this mystic tribe. Furthermore, the Inkas were utterly gifted fighters and managed to conquer the whole area which today is Peru (without the jungle) plus parts of Bolivia, Ecuador,Colombia, Chile and Argentina (they only existed from the 13th to 16th century!). And, you know, every empire needs its capital, and that's just where I am, in Cusco, the heart of the Inka realm.

Unfortuantely, in the beginning of the 16th century some amor wearing and gun carrying Europeans, called the Spanish (you probably know their leader, Francisco Pizarro), conquered the Inka empire, destroyed its temples (and built churches instead) and robbed its gold.
Nonetheless, you can still see the Inka heritage (especially their stone architecture) everywhere in the city, most times laying the foundation for Spanish colonial buildings.

But I should start from the beginning. As you probably remember I had been in Puno at Lake Titicaca. On monday I set sail to Cusco (well, I didn't use a ship but the wonderful train connection between the two cities). The trip was interesting (we reached altitudes of more than 4,000 metres) and really comfortable. The personnel was very decent and we had a delicious lunch on the train, as well.

We arrived in Cusco at 6:00 p.m. (the ride took 10 hours) and first looked for a nice hostal which we found. We then had a first glimpse at the wonderful Plaza de Armas (main square) and decided to make it our first destination the next day.

The main square features a lot of churches: La iglesia de la compañia and a church complex consisting of two chapels (Jesus Maria and El triunfo) and the cathedral. The latter is just overwhelmingly beautiful and we were stunned by all the silver and gold decorations inside (the church was built on the territory of a former Inka temple). Unfortunately, it wasn't allowed to take pictures.

Cusco is well-known for its narrow roads flanked by huge Inka stones and consequently we couldn't resist taking a stroll through the old-town. We went up a really steep street to get a better view on the city.

As I've already written, the Inkas were famous for their walls. They wouldn't use simple square blocks but polyangled rocks perfectly fitting together. A unique example of this art is the socalled Piedra de los doce ángulos (a stone with twelve angles). Count yourself!

In the late afternoon, we paid a visit to the Museo de arte precolombino which is specialised in pre-columbian art and handcraft. Some really nice exhibits were waiting for us. Have a look!

For today, we had planned get a glimpse at some archeological sights. The first one is called Sacsayhuamán meaning "content falcon". This ruin was of both religious and miltary use. Extremely amazing are the giant stones it is built of, some of them weighing more than a dozen tons (I wonder how the Inkas managed to take them there).

After the visit, we made our way up an adjacent hill featuring a white Christ statue (did the copy the one in Rio de Janeiro?). The view, again, was tremendous.

We then grabbed a bite and I used the opportunity to try another Peruvian speciality: Chicha. This can be, I think, translated as corn beer (it looks like beer, at least) but tastes like sweet wine or even cidre. Well, it needs getting used to!

In the afternoon, yet another Inka ruin was waiting for us: Qorikancha. This had been an Inka temple (the walls were covered with gold!) before the Spanish destroyed it and built a church (Santo Domingo) in his stead. Nowadays, the old Inka buildings can be visited again. This sight is really special, because the Inka temples can be found next to the convent and church of Santo Domingo.

Okay, I need to come to an end. An amazing city is waiting for me!

Tomorrow, I will participate in a trip to the socalled Sacred Valley. To find out what that is, check in soon!

Cya!

Condors flying, islands floating, men sewing

2007-09-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm back online and you won't be disappointed, the last three days have lots of amazing stories to offer!

Do you remember my last post? I had been in Colca Canyon and swimming in some hot springs. As I told you the next day we headed off to watch Condors flying. On the way to the viewpoint our minivan had to drag us up this huge canyon. But the long ride was absolutely worth it. In the beginning not many birds showed up but after half an hour they thought it appropriate to entertain us with the best performance they got! It was a tremendous sight watching these perfect specimen flying, at times even sort of hovering throught the air (the thermic there is fantastic). I hope you'll like the pictures, sometimes it was hard catching them on a photo as they are really fast flyers.

In the afternoon it was time to go back to Arequipa. Unfortunately, the Inka rallye came cross our way (perhaps you remember me writing about it in one of my blogs). The police had blocked the road so we had to wait for about three hours in the middle of the desert until all the drivers had passed by with their cars (some looked like tuned up taxis).

We arrived in Arequipa late in the evening and I had to go to the bus station straight away to catch my connection to Puno at lake Titicaca cause I was engaging in a tour on the latter the next day.

And what a tour it was! Our group was really international, Argentines, Italians, US-Americans, French, Ecuardorians, etc. Our first destination were the socalled Floating islands (Islas flotantes in Spanish). They are made out of seaweed and mud and are inhabited by the Uros, indigenous people speaking a special language, Aymara. Although these islands only exist for tourism these days and are shockingly commercialised it was an amazing experience (the seaweed is really soft and you feel like going on a huge layer of pillows).

Next stop was another island called Amantani, which is a natural not an artificial one with a population of four thousand people. We would spend the night there at a family. But first we climbed up a hill called Pachatata (father universe, there is a twin hill named Pachamama standing for mother earth). On top of Pachatata you can find a square sanctury only shamans are allowed to enter (they are conducting a secret ceremony with coca leaves). While we were exploring the sight a huge storm arose. Well, it didn't prevent us to stop at a little hut where the owner offered coca tea (natural medicine against altitude sickness) and picarones, little rings of flour you eat with a lot of sugar!

But the tempest didn't forget us and unleashed some of its finest lightnings on us. We hurried down to seek shelter in our host's house. By the way, they provided us with wonderful meals there, all cocked on a stone stove.

In the evening we were invited to a dance show organised by the local community. We all had to wear traditional costumes for it. Although those events are touristical and I don't really appriciate them it was really nice an evening programme. The Amantanis even tried to get us dancing (with mediocre success).

Today we visited yet another island, Taquile, which is famous for its championship in textile handcraft. Male inhabitants are sewing themselves there and wear special hats indicating their rank in society (married, single, fisherman, etc.). However, the best part of this trip wasn't the handcraft or the island itself but the view on the marvelous lake, painted in wonderful blue by the bright sky.

The way back to Puno (the main city at the lake) wasn't spectacular and before I began writing to you we had had a stroll through the small old town.

Tomorrow, I will reach my final destination, Cusco (Machu Picchu). Hold your breath, 'cause the last highlights are yet to come.

Cya!

Guinea pigs and hot springs

2007-09-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

two wonderful days have passed, again. Time's just rushing by and I will be back in Germany soon. Nontheless, in good old Peru new experiences are as easy to find as taxis in Arequipa (if you don't know what that means, read the previous post!).

Yesterday was my second day in Arequipa. First, me and my co-traveller Andreas had a stroll through something like a "market quarter", were I took a few nice pictures. It's just so much fun to see the abundance of good salesman are trying to get people's attention with.

After that, we decided to get a better view on the city and, especially, on the surrounding mountains (the most famous is El Misti, the mysterious volcano at a 5.822 metres altitude). The viewpoint was located at a nice Plaza with yet another nice church (they are everywhere!).

As we were beginning to get tired of churches and monasteries we planned to visit a colonial mansion. It was quite interesting to get a glimpse at the life of a rich Spanish "don" as they were called back in the day. But we couldn't escape the clerical world a 100% as there were only pictures of religious topics hanging there.

In the afternoon we convinced ourselves to go have a look at another monastery. It's called La Recolletta and it's outside of the old town of Arequipa on the other side of the river (its name is Rio Chili). Its remote and a littlebit concealed location make it sort of a insider's tip and consequently there weren't too many tourists which was a refreshing experience, I can tell.

The monastery offers four nice cloisters and some exhibitions, one of them on animals of the Amazon which the missionaries encountered on their explorations. It's a pity I won't have enough time (and money) to go to the jungle and see these exotic species! The best part of the monastery, however, is the old library. It contains books dating back to the end of the 15th century, among those old bibles and one of the first editions of Miguel de Cervantes Don Quixote (this guy fighting the windmills, perhaps you remember). These monks did a lot of reading!

The culinary highlight was saved for the evening: Cuy. You don't no what that might be? Well, probaby you've already heard its English name: Guinea Pig. Yes, its a delicacy in Peru, for thousand of years in fact (it hadn't been domestized like the chicken, it had always lived here). Those of you who have a guinea pig at home (I had one myself, its name was Fritzi) better close the eyes, the next pictures are explicit!

The taste was okay, not in any way disgusting as you might think. It didn't resemble the one of rabbit, though (everybody told me it would). It won't become one of my most favourite dishes, that's clear!

And today... I went to Colca Canyon, which happens to be the second deepest canyon in the world (two times deeper than the Grand Canyon, by the way). I took some nice pictures of the landscapes there (the animals are Alpakas).

In the evening, I had a swim in some famous hot springs which was a nice distraction and offered some relaxation. Have a look!

I have to go to bed now. I'm getting up early tomorrow to see that Canyon when the sun rises and the Condors fly (yes, I'm watching Condors).

I will probably be back writing you from my next destination, lake Titicaca!

Cya!

From Nazca to Arequipa

2007-09-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

it's been some time but I'm back to attack your brain cells with new stories, adventures and a lot of pictures! Here's a funny one to cheer you up.

I have to start from the beginning... Yesterday I went to Nazca (named after a famous Peruvian culture), where you can find - some might know - the famous "Nazca Lines" (Nomen est omen!). These so called geoglyphes are long lines in the sand surrounded by black stones, which contrast to the white soil and by that... you can see them from a plane! And that's just what I did.

The different figures were constructed in a period of 1000 years (300 B.C. to 700 A.C.) and their purpose still poses a mistery to scientists around the world. Were they of astronomical use for the Nazcas or just simple streets or even of extraterrestrial origin? No one knows...

After that I happened to be asked by a travel agent if I wanted to go on a tour to some Nazca tombs. The price was okay and I decided to do so and it was not in any kind a bad decision! Our guide was hell of an entertainer. His gestures, facial expressions and ways of storytelling were faboulous! The tombs weren't that interesting but his explanations made up for it!

On this tour was a German guy named Andreas who is from Saarbruecken. In the evening the two of us went to have a look at the city of Nazca which rather is a little town with only a few interesting streets all gathered near the main square. We finally found a nice cocktail bar where we wanted to drink some Pisco Sour (hope you remember) and the bartender there was a funny fellow! He introduced us to his friend Tom, who is a hostel and language school owner, donator to public institutions and father of I don't know how many adopted Peruvian children. Tom is Canadian and what I would call a hobby-magician. He stunned us with some of his tricks.

I didn't stay in Nazca, though this bartender would certainly have made me do so... but I had booked an overnight bus to Arequipa and had to move on. These buses, by the way, are darn comfortable (see http://www.cruzdelsur.com.pe).

In Arequipa I had some trouble finding the hotel my Peruvian friends had booked for me as it did not exist at all! Well, at least at the address I had. So me and Andreas (he happened to be on the same train as me and joined me in Arequipa) had to look for another one. Just to calm you, we found a nice one near the main square.

And then... Arequipa, the white city, beautiful I can tell you and much more quiet than Lima but with more taxis (in relation)! It was weird to see so many cabs in one place. Probably there are more of them here than inhabitants.

We went to nice churches and monasteries in the morning but the best part was the visit of the Santa Catalina cloister, which is so big, it's a city within the city. Yes you hear right! There are street in this monasteries with names of Spanish cities (Calle Sevilla or Calle Cordoba, for example). If you know about the rules of the convent, the nuns were not allowed to get in contact with the outside world, you can understand this urbanizing effort.
Everything within this complex was a stunning sight, I was especially fond of the blue and red walls.

Later we also had a stroll through the local market (which is huge), tried some fruits and marvelous papaya juices. As well, we paid a visit to the cathedral of Arequipa which is rather simple but has some intricate and splendid details (the chandelier, the pulpit, for example).

Right now I'm sitting here in an internet cafe with cell-like cabins hoping to find my way out of this IT-labyrinth and to write you again...

Cya!

Car racers and Catacombs

2007-09-15T07:27:00.001-07:00

Hey folks,

I have interesting things to report. The day began with the visit of the monasterio san francisco. On the way, we came past the main square where a car exhibition caught our attention. The so called Inka rally is about to begin and consequently the drivers wanted to present their vehicles.

But, as I am not a car fanatic, we quickly moved on to the monastery. It's a beautiful baroque church, especially the entrance was an eye-catcher. Unfortunately it was prohibited to take photos inside, however, I can tell you, it's a marvelous example of colonial architecture. The library was really antique with books dating back to the time of the conquering of Peru. The choir was astonishing and then we also paid a visit to the famous catacombs of this monastery. Thousands of people are buried there, not only clerics but normal citizen of Lima as well. There were so many bones you probably could erect a whole skeleton army with that. The funny thing was that they were neatly divided up between femura, humera and hips, some of the splendid anatomical models.

The Spanish were masters of inquisition, not only in their home country but also in their colonies. To display the often babarious methods of the inquisitors you can visit the museum of inquisition in Lima. It's a rather small representative of its kind but is designed really graphic using wax figures.

The picture above shows the congress of Peru, which is located next to the museum.

Peru is famous for it's abundace of archeological sights which present all the various tribes and their respective architecture. One example which you can find just in the inner city of Peru is huaca pucllana, a pyramid built of adobe bricks (you use water, adobe and seashells and let it dry).

We then spent the evening in the beautiful quarter Barranco, went down to the ocean and had a look at all the differnt handcrafts displayed there.

Tomorrow I will continue my journey to Nazca and Arequipa. I cannot promise you to write on a daily basis. Check in once in a while to get an update.

Cya!

Global Village

2007-09-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,

yesterday I needed some time to recover so we didn't to much sightseeing.

Nonetheless, I have attended an envent at the catholic university where AIESEC Lima (a student organization) had invited the Polish ambassador and students who had been in Poland. It was fun to hear stories I experienced myself when I have been in Poland.

After the discussion the host had organized some snacks and drinks.

Tomorrow I will be back with a lot more pictures and stories. Bet on that!

Peruvian nights

2007-09-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm sitting at the pc writing you with a little hangover. Yesterday, we went out to hit Lima's nightlife, but first things first. The day began with the visit of one of the many museums in Lima, el museo de la nacion, which displays the cultural heritage of Peru (there are not only the Inkas!).
In front of the museum was a group of little school children and they were all wearing track-suit uniforms. I had to take a photo of this!

As I promised yesterday, I will now let you into the secrets of the Peruvian speciality Ceviche. We ate this dish at a restaurant named Punto Azul (blue point) and I was told that this is the place to be for ceviche. The latter basically consits of chunks of raw fish with a lot of lemon juice and a sauce I couldn't really identify. Put all the doubts you have of raw fish aside, this dish is delicious!

We then wanted to visit an archeological site but unfortunately it was closed. Well, but as we are flexible we went to Miraflores again, to a shopping mall facing the sea called Larcomar.
I took a picture of the famous Marriot hotel, the best of its class in Lima.

In the evening, we went to Christopher's university (Universidad de Lima) as he had lessons and I got a chance to visit the premises. The buildings around the campus are very modern, one of it was just built recently (the tall one in the background of the picture) and has a rather futuristic interior design.

Yesterday, the Peruvian national football team played against the selection of Bolivia and so we decided to go to a Sport's bar to watch the match. And well, as Peru won 2-0 we had a reason to celebrate.

And that's how the day came to an end. Cya!

Chifa's galore

2007-09-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I am in Peru for three days now and can claim to have already experienced a reasonable part of the diversity of Peruvian food and drinks: Pisco, Pollo, Maiz Morada (which is purple corn), various exotic fruits and... Chinese food. Yes, you wouldn't expect so many Chinese restaurants in a South American city but well, as the Chinese are the largest group of immigrants in Peru it's not that unnormal.
These restaurants are called "Chifa" and you will find them all over Lima and probably in a lot of other cities as well.

We went to a Chifa called San Hoy La (I hope I remember the name right!) and the four of us had so much food, it would have been enough for six or even eight people.

After such a substantial meal we had a little walk and found another market where they sold all kinds of meat and fish. They even had little kitchens for those passing by.

For the afternoon we had planned to make a bus tour up a hill called Mirador from where you have a wonderful view on the city. The best part of this trip, actually, wasn't the sight on the peak (it was a bit foggy) but the way up. The road was extremely narrow and at some parts now even reinforced.

Back in the downtown, my friends showed me yet another speciality of the Peruvian cuisine: Churros. It's a dessert made of deep fried flour with a pudding-like filling rolled in sugar. Very heavy!

In the evening we went to the fancy quarter of Miraflores to Parque Kennedy. There you can find a rather touristic market selling Peruvian clothes and handcraft. Since I am looking for an Alpaka pullover anyway my friends wanted to disguise me as a Peruvian highlander (my skin lacks a darker colour, though, consequently the illusion wasn't perfect!).

A few more pictures of Miraflores at night:

Today I will try yet another Peruvian especialidad: Ceviche. Check in tomorrow to learn more about that!

Hasta luego!

Lima

2007-09-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

yesterday was great! We were heading off to the old town of Lima in the morning and it was really amazing what the city had in store for us. First, we went to the main square called Plaza de Armas. What a beatiful sight! We were lucky to be there at noon to witness the changing of the guard. A band played some nice songs beforehand, so the whole thing was spiced up with a lot of pathos.

The actual changing was, as you may expect, very accurate.

After that, we visited the cathedral were Francisco Pizarro (he is not a football player but the conqueror of Peru!) is said to be buried. The interior is very interesting, you can find a lot of intricate designs. The church was built from 1535 to 1625 but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1746. Here are some pictures.

Peru is a very catholic country, thus you can find a lot of churches here. Another representative is the Iglesia de Santo Domingo where three of the five South American saints are buried. I can only remeber two of them, San Martin de Porres (a black saint) and Santa Rosa. The church is also a cloister with beautiful courtyards, but have a look yourself!

The rest of the day, we made a trip up to the hills facing the pacific oceans and to a market where the were they sold all different kinds of spices, pickles, meat and... FRUITS!
It was amazing to see such an abundance of exotic fruits in one place, and best thing is, they are utterly cheap. Some of them bear names I have never heard before, cherimoya, for example.

That's all for now. Hasta mañana!

Warm welcome

2007-09-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I am writing you from the buzzing city of Lima, the capital of Peru! I started my journey yesterday, first from Munich to Madrid and then to the land of the Inkas. The flight was okay, I expected it much more exhausting (it's 12 hours from Madrid to Lima). The only annoyance was: I asked this guy at the Iberia check-in to book an emergency-exit seat for me and what did he do, he reserved a seat in the middle row, which was only next to the emergency door (he didn't tell me though!). So I didn't have the "spacious" flight experience I hoped for. Well, forget it!

I landed in Peru at 5:30 p.m. local time (GMT minus four hours) but didn't get out of the Airport before 7 p.m. mostly because my bagpack was one of the last on this damn conveyer belt at the baggage claim.

However, what came next compensated all the stress I had before: My dear Peruvian friends Christopher, Gabriela and Juan had arranged a very, very warm welcome for me. They had also prepared a bag full of gifts for me, including the famous Inka Cola (which is, by the way, more successful than Coca Cola in Peru!). I was amazed by this first proof of the great Peruvian hospitality.

After that we went to Christopher's house and I can tell you: The Peruvian traffic is homicidal! People are changing lanes at random and the horn is probably more important than the brake. But it was some sort of fun to witness how traffic still works without everything being regulated so strictly as it is in Germany.
A la casa, we then had some Pisco Sour, which is a cocktail made of Pisco (Peru's national liquor), limes and sugar garnished with a cinnamon topping. It has a tequila-like taste and is really delicious.

The evening finished with a long conversation on Peruvian and South American history and politics and a dinner at a hamburger restaurant. They give you a call there when your food is ready and it was quite odd to be named señor Korbi but they pronounced it just fine. You see, my name is perfectly international!

Okay, more news are on the way. I will be back with more pictures of Lima.

Cya!

Final preparations

2007-09-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

this is the blog on my journey to Peru. I took a Spanish name for it which means (for those of you not having the slightest knowledge of the language): The German in Peru.

As this is the first post of mine I found it appropriate to start it out with a little quote:

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
(St. Augustine)

Although I have been travelling for all my life and therefore read a few more pages of that book there's always a new chapter ahead with just an unexpected turning point when discovering the world.

And right now, to serve the metaphore, I am stuck in the prologue of my own journey: Preparations.
As I am not only going to Austria for a little hiking trip in the Alps I had to arrange a few things before launching off to the Inka Land. First mild shock was: When travelling to Peru you have to make sure your passport is valid for at least six months, which mine is but only by one week! Well, I am happy for not undergoing the excruciating and nerve-racking quest of applying for a new passport which always arrives one week later than it should.

Of course, during my little excursion in the Andes there are a lot of dangers, diseases and other possibilities to fall ill and you should never dare to forget the altitude sickness creeping up your brains while strolling around the antique and amazing monuments of Machu Picchu (2,500 metres) or Cusco (3,500 metres). Consequently, to keep these threats at bay, I had some immunisations and contracted a travel insurance.

But, I still hadn't done anything about my luggage, so I had to consider which of my clothes to take along. As it can get pretty damn cold in those Peruvian montañas theres was a definite need of a warm pair of socks and a pullover and, as for as it goes for hiking, a good pair of shoes. And, since the temperatures rise high on the coast, I couldn't stay of short of my Bermuda shorts (what a dim-witted repitition!). So, I think the scheme is clear.

There are a lot more errands to make, as you know, but it would definitely go beyond the scope of this blog to describe them all. In the end there will still be the unsolvable task of cramming all my stuff into my tiny trekking-rucksack.

Well, to make a long story short, here's the epilogue: There will never be enough space for all the belongings you might need for a journey and you will never prepared for the things ahead. But hey, that's what travelling about: Expect the unexpected and multiply it with a yet another factor that is the holiness of departing into an unknown world.

Enough of my philosphcal outpouring. I close this book for now. Check in next week when I will be back writing you from Peru's capital, Lima

Cya!