Deepest Darkest Peru: No Bears in Wellingtons in Sight…
Arrived in Lima, the airport was utter pandemonium. Little would I know that that would be one of my fondest memories of the city. Apologies to the 8 million residents of Lima but your city is, for the most part, a scary, ugly, dirty place.
The hostel did little to improve my outlook. Hostal Jose Luis is not for the faint of heart let me tell you. As there were no double rooms we were given an entire dormitory to ourselves: 8 beds and not one decent mattress, plus it smelt like damp dogs, sweaty socks and regret. Oh, and there is no situation that a fluorescent strip light can’t make 4 times more depressing.
The momentous decision was made – we were going to go OFF SPREADSHEET (eeek!), and so we skipped out early from Lima and got on the first fast bus to Nasca, a wonderful, sunny, delightful, gently chaotic place. The main attraction here is the Nasca Lines: huge parallel lines, geometric shapes, bird and animal figures, and odd things like an alien figure and a pair of hands cut into the desert floor. There are lots of theories about what their purpose was but as they are best seen from the air it makes sense that they were messages to the gods from Nasca people. Or it was aliens.
Anyway, as I said, the best way to see the lines is from the air, from a tiny 5 person plane to be precise:
Not an activity for the nervous flyer really.
Here’s another reason why Nasca is so fab:
The next stop was to be Arequipa, but we had to go back to Lima to get the flight. I’m not ashamed to admit I had a princess moment and refused to go back there unless I was staying at the Sheraton. I am what I am.
Arequipa is sunny, lovely, friendly, gorgeous - a very relaxing and enjoyable few days there. The most interesting part of Arequipa is the Santa Catalina Convent, really a walled city within a city.
In the 15th – 18th centuries the wealthy Spanish families would send their daughters off to this beautiful convent complete with an entourage of servants, luxury goods and furniture and, if rumors are to believed, a burning desire to be bad, bad girls. Because of the secretive nature of the sealed-in community, and because people are always willing to believe the worst of other people, gossip of wanton behavior and orgies abounded. There are still about 30 or so remaining nuns in the convent but I’m fairly confident they are more, well, nunnish these days.
On a religious note, I saw the most unusual thing going on in the Plaza del Armas (just how many of these ARE there in South America???). Some form of religious festival was taking place, and walking through the crowds were what I can only describe as “Drive-Through Communion Squads”. One school girl holding a big sign with “Communion” written on it, one Priest to give out the Host, and one support Nun. You could flag them down, receive communion and be on your way within 10 seconds. Perfect for today’s busy devout Catholic on the go.
An observance on the tastes of Peru: the confection of choice here seems to be a Saltines type cracker covered in chocolate. I can only conclude that the people of Peru must be in a constant state of PMS.
Colca Canyon. Took a tedious gravel-road bus journey to Chivay with the intention of going to look at some condors the next morning. There was a pretty walk out to the thermal baths, but it was slightly marred by the dog in heat that followed us, all the while receiving the “attentions” of a few of the randy male dog population of the town. Nice. After an unspeakably cold night we decided we simply couldn’t be arsed with condors, certainly not on a 5am bus, so went directly back to Arequipa. Just because Lonely Planet says it’s good don’t necessarily make it so.
On to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, where they know how to have a knees-up! “Party, party, party” seems to be the town motto, but I think that’s mainly because it was Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of Winter Solstice (see how I educate you people?). Cusco is another gorgeous town and I really appreciated its beauty when I wasn’t gasping for air (altitude 10,860 feet, 3,310 meters).
Randomly ran into Vicky (Aston MAS 1998 alumni!) and Liz, who had been on the boat with us in the Galapagos, so had a good evening out with them. You can’t beat a bit of Brummie humour I tell you!
Currently in Aguas Calientes, and will, in theory, be gazing in wonder at the mysteries of Macchu Picchu tomorrow morning. However it is PISSING DOWN with rain right now with fog at eye level, and if this continues all we will be seeing is damp Alpacas. I shall keep you informed.
A final musing:
Why oh why do certain types of travelers insist on buying supposedly national costume items of clothing and thinking that’s how they’ll “blend”. I have not seen ONE SINGLE Peruvian wearing stripy pajama bottom type trousers apart from when they’re dancing in a festival. It would be like visitors to England wearing a Morris Dancer costume and thinking they are indistinguishable from the locals.
The hostel did little to improve my outlook. Hostal Jose Luis is not for the faint of heart let me tell you. As there were no double rooms we were given an entire dormitory to ourselves: 8 beds and not one decent mattress, plus it smelt like damp dogs, sweaty socks and regret. Oh, and there is no situation that a fluorescent strip light can’t make 4 times more depressing.
The momentous decision was made – we were going to go OFF SPREADSHEET (eeek!), and so we skipped out early from Lima and got on the first fast bus to Nasca, a wonderful, sunny, delightful, gently chaotic place. The main attraction here is the Nasca Lines: huge parallel lines, geometric shapes, bird and animal figures, and odd things like an alien figure and a pair of hands cut into the desert floor. There are lots of theories about what their purpose was but as they are best seen from the air it makes sense that they were messages to the gods from Nasca people. Or it was aliens.
Anyway, as I said, the best way to see the lines is from the air, from a tiny 5 person plane to be precise:
Not an activity for the nervous flyer really.
Here’s another reason why Nasca is so fab:
The next stop was to be Arequipa, but we had to go back to Lima to get the flight. I’m not ashamed to admit I had a princess moment and refused to go back there unless I was staying at the Sheraton. I am what I am.
Arequipa is sunny, lovely, friendly, gorgeous - a very relaxing and enjoyable few days there. The most interesting part of Arequipa is the Santa Catalina Convent, really a walled city within a city. In the 15th – 18th centuries the wealthy Spanish families would send their daughters off to this beautiful convent complete with an entourage of servants, luxury goods and furniture and, if rumors are to believed, a burning desire to be bad, bad girls. Because of the secretive nature of the sealed-in community, and because people are always willing to believe the worst of other people, gossip of wanton behavior and orgies abounded. There are still about 30 or so remaining nuns in the convent but I’m fairly confident they are more, well, nunnish these days.
On a religious note, I saw the most unusual thing going on in the Plaza del Armas (just how many of these ARE there in South America???). Some form of religious festival was taking place, and walking through the crowds were what I can only describe as “Drive-Through Communion Squads”. One school girl holding a big sign with “Communion” written on it, one Priest to give out the Host, and one support Nun. You could flag them down, receive communion and be on your way within 10 seconds. Perfect for today’s busy devout Catholic on the go.
An observance on the tastes of Peru: the confection of choice here seems to be a Saltines type cracker covered in chocolate. I can only conclude that the people of Peru must be in a constant state of PMS.
Colca Canyon. Took a tedious gravel-road bus journey to Chivay with the intention of going to look at some condors the next morning. There was a pretty walk out to the thermal baths, but it was slightly marred by the dog in heat that followed us, all the while receiving the “attentions” of a few of the randy male dog population of the town. Nice. After an unspeakably cold night we decided we simply couldn’t be arsed with condors, certainly not on a 5am bus, so went directly back to Arequipa. Just because Lonely Planet says it’s good don’t necessarily make it so.
On to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, where they know how to have a knees-up! “Party, party, party” seems to be the town motto, but I think that’s mainly because it was Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of Winter Solstice (see how I educate you people?). Cusco is another gorgeous town and I really appreciated its beauty when I wasn’t gasping for air (altitude 10,860 feet, 3,310 meters).
Randomly ran into Vicky (Aston MAS 1998 alumni!) and Liz, who had been on the boat with us in the Galapagos, so had a good evening out with them. You can’t beat a bit of Brummie humour I tell you!
Currently in Aguas Calientes, and will, in theory, be gazing in wonder at the mysteries of Macchu Picchu tomorrow morning. However it is PISSING DOWN with rain right now with fog at eye level, and if this continues all we will be seeing is damp Alpacas. I shall keep you informed.
A final musing:
Why oh why do certain types of travelers insist on buying supposedly national costume items of clothing and thinking that’s how they’ll “blend”. I have not seen ONE SINGLE Peruvian wearing stripy pajama bottom type trousers apart from when they’re dancing in a festival. It would be like visitors to England wearing a Morris Dancer costume and thinking they are indistinguishable from the locals.
posted by stef at
7:08 PM
1 Comments:
I'm loving your blog! Wow, we get your quick wit and an education at the same time! Keep on rollin'!
p.s., my book group read the Other Boleyn Girl and loved it (especially as they said, the "spicy" parts -- hey we're a bunch of 40 something moms in the burbs)
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Donna, at 9:58 PM
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