Travel Update

It´s time for a little travel update from the Hasties.  We´ve been traveling for about 12 days now.  That means lots of miles; lots and lots of buses, combis and taxis; many sights; and even more photos.   Here´s a quick summary of a few of the highlights:

- Arequipa.  We stayed there for three nights.  Highlights included the Santa Catalina monastery - a beautiful monastery in use since the 1500s; great food (particularly liked La Capitana where we got a smorgasbord of local dishes); lovely plazas; and some beautiful residential neighborhoods.

- Colca Canyon.  We did three days of hiking and spent two nights here in the second deepest canyon in the world (the deepest being the nearby Cotohuasi).  Unlike places like the Grand Canyon or Zion Canyon in the US, there are several towns in this canyon, including places to stay, which means we could pack in a minimal amount of stuff - just snacks and clothes for three days.  The place was beautiful and tranquil and the girls were awesome hikers.  On the last day, we hiked out of canyon - a climb of over 3,000 feet which we finished by 8 a.m., including a moonlit start.  In nearby Cabanaconde, as part of the local festival of the Virgen de Carmen we were also treated to one of the best fireworks displays we´ve ever seen.

- Paracas Reserve and the Ballestas Islands.  Both of these places feature outstanding marine life.  The Ballestas in particular are home to thousands upon thousands of gulls, cormorants, penguins and other birds, as well and sea lions and other sea life.  The sheer number of birds was astounding.  The Paracas National Reserve is a seemingly barren but beautiful landscape that still contains an abundance of marine life.

- Moche Pyramids and Chan Chan.  Today we visited some fabulous ruins from the Moche period (the Huaca de Luna) and Chimu period (Huacas de Esmerelda and Arco Iris and Chan Chan).  Below is a picture of carvings at the Huaca de la Luna.  This square shaped pyramid has five levels.  Every 70-100 years, the Mochicas built a new level over the top of and around the previous one, covering all the artwork, sculptures, tombs, etc. from the previous incarnation - fascinating.  The associated museum was one of the best we´ve seen in Peru showcasing an impressive collection of fantastic pottery from teh site.

That´s enough for now.  In the next few days we´ll see more of the northern coast of Peru, including stops in Lambayeque and Los Organos for more museums and hopefully a bit of relaxing on the beach.  Then it´s on to Ecuador and the town of Cuenca followed by a trip to the Galapagos Islands.  We´ll try to do another post somewhere in there.

Matt