¡TravelSickness!

Plaza de Armas , Trujillo

After Iquitos, Trujillo would be our last stop of our Peru trip before Lima. I had been looking forward to this town on the north coast of Peru forever: Warm weather (not so humid, as in the Amazon), beautiful beaches, always sunny, charming colonial buildings, and ancient ruins all in the surrounding area.

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Chan Chan, City, Colonial, Huaca de la Luna, North Coast, Peru, South America, Trujillo

Summer Rain in Iquitos

Hot, steamy Iquitos was one of our last stops in Peru. After five days on a stinky boat surrounded by hundreds of other sweaty bodies, we were glad to set foot on (relatively) solid land again. Iquitos is the largest city in the world which is not reachable by any road. The only way in (or out) is by river on the Amazon or Ucayali, or a plane over miles of thick jungle. It’s an awesome feeling being surrounded by unspoiled jungle in every direction for literally hundreds of kilometers before the next city of any size. Unbroken only by thatched riverside villages, the occasional sugar cane field, or banana plantations, the jungle literally swallows you up. Makes you feel so small and insignificant… Lost out in the middle of such a beautifully wild environment.

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Amazon River, Amazonas, Iquitos, Jungle, Peru, Rainforest, Rio Amazona, South America

Typical Day on Board

Since Iquiotos is the largest city in the world, which is not connected by any road, anyone, who wants to travel from Pucallpa to Iquitos, has two ways: you can either fly or take the boat. We opted for the four-day cruise. This, one imagines will be quite an adventure, and yes, even a little romantic... at least before. One has in mind a boat, like the idyllic steam ships from the 19. Century, traveling up and down the Mississippi River. One imagines hammocks hung lazily on deck, swinging back and forth in the breeze, while he gazes on the wild forest to the left and right gliding along the river. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different, and looking back actually leaves a shudder for a moment.

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Amazonas, Boat, Iquitos, Peru, Pucallpa, Rio Ucayali, River, South America, Travel

Pucallpa Waterfront

I write this now, as we sit in Pucallpa’s port, waiting for the boat to leave for Iquitos: Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow, or the next day. Things just work a little differantly here… We arrived in steamy Pucalla straight from the cool central Andes after a long eighteen-hour bus ride though what is supposed to be the most drug-infested area of Peru. About two in the morning, the bus was boarded by a police officer armed with a semi-automatic machine gun who asked for a “protection donation”. We knew we were going to be in for something interestesting in this deep jungle town… Pucallpa proved to hide adventure and interest in many unexpected places, and heat, humidity, and mosquitos aside, and incedibly beautiful place to interact with the people, the culture, and the landscape of the jungle.

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Amazonas, Jungle, Peru, Pucallpa, Rio Ucayali, South America

Church in Huancavelica

After a quick stop in the desert-oasis of Huacachina to break the long trip from Arequipa to Ayacucho, we got on yet another all-night bus bound for the Andean Highlands. We visited Ayacucho, the pretty colonial town of Huancavelica, and then a very quick stop in Huancayo… This was a great taste of traditional Peru, and a nice relief from the Gringo-Trail, visiting places very little touristed by outsiders. In Huancavelica for example, we were met by a curious crowd of children when we arrived, and all over town the people seemed extra-curious about what apparently were the only two gringos in town!

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Ayacucho, Central Andes, Huancavelica, Huancayo, Peru, South American

Main Cloister

The Monasterio de Santa Catalina is a cloistered convent in Arequipa, originally built in the 16th century. The founder of the monastery was a rich widow; The tradition of the time indicated that the second son or daughter of a family would enter religious service, and the convent accepted only women from high-class Spanish families. Each nun at Santa Catalina had between one and four servants or slaves, and the nuns invited musicians to perform in the convent, gave parties and generally lived a lavish lifestyle. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter’s entrance to the convent, and the dowry paid to gain the highest status was 2,400 silver coins (equivalent to around $50,000 today).

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Architecture, Arequipa, Monestario de Santa Catalina, Peru, Santa Catalina Monestary, South America

Kevin Overlooking the Canyon

Colca cayon, about 150km north from Arequipa, is a large canyon which at 4,160 m deep is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States. Until a few years ago, this was believed to be the deepest canyon in the world: Now that title goes to the Cañon de Cotahuasi, just 100km to the west, which is deeper by some 150m or so. Still, Cañon del Colca was incredibly impressive in it’s own right; From tiny traditional villages, soaring condors overhead, and huge snow-capped mountains looming in the distance, to the backpacker-mecca of ‘The Oasis’ with its palm-shaded swimming pools in the bottom of the canyon- This was a great mix of rugged nature, culture, and relaxation.

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Arequipa, Cañon del Colca, Colca Canyon, Hiking, Peru, South America, Trek, Trekking

Plaza de Armas at Night

Von dem idyllischen See Titikaka kommend, waren wir auf Arequipa als Perus zweitgrößte Stadt nicht vorbereitet und die Stadt traf und wie ein Schlag ins Gesicht. Die grauen Smog Wolken, die tagsüber so dicht sind, dass man es schwer hat die Umrisse des nahe gelegenen Vulkans El Misti zu erkennen, kündigten sich schon von weiten an: Aus den Bergen mit dem Bus kommend wehte durch die geöffneten Fenster Abgase herein, die einen die Luft nahm und stark an Lima erinnern ließ. Als wir dann am Abend etwas zu essen suchten, wurden wir von der Masse der Menschen überrollt. Wir sollten feststellen, dass man erst einmal wieder lernen muss, wie man sich auf vollen Straßenzügen bewegen muss, um nicht jede paar Sekunden mit einem Passanten zusammenzustoßen.

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Arequipa, City, Colonial, Peru, South America

Copacabana

Ahh ahh ahh ahh Copa Copacabana… Well, Copacabana was neither literally or figuratively “The hottest spot north of Havana,” but it was an interesting place nonetheless to spend a few days ‘decompressing’ after our rough week lounging on the beach in Isla del Sol. The town itself is fairly bleak and touristy, except for the large 16th century Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana on the main square. Here you can see the interesting custom of blessing vehicles: Drunk drivers from all around come to have thier cars covered in flowers and dowsed in champagne in hopes that god will protect they and thier humble passengers…

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Bolivia, Copacabana, Lago Titicaca, Lake Titicaca, South America