Adventures in Peru
I clearly remember that morning at the office, when the unexpected error fare for Central and South America popped up in my Facebook Feed. It wasn’t among my plans to visit South America, nor to end up in Peru anytime soon. But you know what’s the deal with error fares: you have to act fast, otherwise it might be gone 10 minutes later. The deal included destinations from Cuba to Colombia, from Ecuador to Peru. After a 5-minute Google search, I took a leap of faith and opted for a Copenhagen-Lima return ticket for 200 euros. And it was the best investment ever.
Yes, a visit to Peru is incomplete without seeing Machu Picchu. It is an out-of-this-world experience.
Arriving to South America in February is such a pleasant experience. T-shirt weather and latino vibes are all over in the streets of Lima.
Peru is home to the ancient Inca civilization and culture, and it can be experienced best when visiting Cusco, the former capital city of the Inca Empire.
Once in Cusco, allocate some days to go out of the city and visit the surrounding areas in the Sacred Valley. This picture was made in Ollantaytambo, a magical Inca Town, and the only place ever to have resisted attacks from the Spanish conquistadors.
Breakfast scene with quinoa. Quinoa is an Andean plant which originated in the area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia and was considered the most sacred food by the Incas. When the Spanish arrived, they only fed it to their animals and even forbade its cultivation at one point (!). Nowadays, the grain has become super popular in the Western world due to its low glycemic index and containing lots of fiber and protein.
Rooftop terrace of my hostel in Arequipa, Peru’s second biggest city in the South of the country.
Rainbow colors are everywhere in Peru! Although each region has a unique style of clothing, the basic characteristics are common: indigenous women in the #Andes dress in layers of bright, colorful shawls, embroidered skirts, and vibrantly colored hats. A true pleasure to the eyes.
Before I arrived to Cusco, that is 3000 meters above sea level, I couldn’t imagine how altitude sickness would be. Sickness might not be the best word for it, but you often feel dizzy and short on breath, and it feels like you are climbing a mountain, even if the street is completely flat.
Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable body of water (3800 meters above sea level) and also the largest lake in South America. It stretches between Peru and Bolivia, but the famous floating islands are on the Peruvian side.
Arequipa was one of my favorite places in Peru. This picture was taken in the Santa Catalina Monastery, famous for its vibrant orange and blue-painted Clusters.
Church facade in Arequipa, the White City of Peru that mixes European and native characteristics. Guinea pig for the Last Supper? I've visited so many catholic churches in my life. But I had to come all the way to Peru to see one where Jesus and his disciples are eating chinchilla (an animal super similar to guinea pig) on the local version of a Last Supper painting. The mix of cultures make this country exceptional.
In Peru, cacao is grown near the Amazon and the Equator. Fun fact is that out of the 100 varieties of cacao that exist in the world, 60 of them grow in Peru. Having tried hot chocolate in a Peruvian chocolate factory, I was surprised that it was not sweet at all!
Paracas is a little beach town on Peru's west coast. It’s not much to see in the town itself, but it is a launch point for the uninhabited Islas Ballestas, the poor man's Galapagos Island, and the Paracas National Reserve, which is one of the unique places on Earth where a desert meets the ocean.
One of my coolest memories from the South of Peru! I can't even drive a car properly, so I asked myself, why not go into the Sechura Desert on a #quad with some random Spanish guys I just met in the hostel? So we did.
Picture taken at a sunset in Huacachina, at the top of the highest sand dunes of South America.