1. Welcome to Peru.
From Loja (Ecuador) we traveled by bus to Huaraz (Peru).
Here you can find a short story about a long bus ride.
The pictures of Piura and the luxurious bus are poster here.
2. Huaraz and Chavin.
Huaraz is a city located 3090m above sea level at the base of the "Cordillera Blanca". It is the most popular starting point for treks in the Andes. It therefore carries the nickname "the Katmandu of the Andes".
Chavin is located on the other side of the first ridge of the Andes from Huaraz. It is the site of the ruins of the oldest known civilization of Peru. We visited the remains of the Chavin culture.
Read about our experiences in Huaraz and the trip to the Chavin ruins here.
The pictures are located here.
3. The Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca.
We tested our fitness be hiking the Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca. This trek is the most popular one in the Andes. For 4 days and 3 nights you are amazed by the landscape in the middle of the Andes, while constantly trying to breathe at an altitude in between 3800 and 4500m.
Wij waagden ons aan de Santa Cruz trek in de Cordillera Blanca. Deze trek is een van de meest populaire treks in de bergketen.
This link directs you to our experience of the Santa Cruz trek.
The pictures are found here.
4. Lima.
We visited the capital of Peru, Lima.
Here you will find our impression.
The pictures are located here.
5. The Oasis of Huacachina.
The Peruvian coast mainly consists of desert. In the south you will find small cities such as Pisco (yes the Pisco sour), Ica and Nazca (the Nazca lines). Instead of visiting these cities, we choose to relax at the oasis of Huacachina, close to the city of Ica. Besides relaxing at the oasis or at a pool this place also offers great sand-buggy and sand board opportunities. Marvellous!
Follow this link to find out how we experienced the oasis, the buggy ride and the sand boarding.
This is where you will find the pictures.
6. Cuzco
Cuzco is the place to be if you are interested in the Inca culture. It used to be the capital of the Inca Empire and became the first and most important city upon the arrival of the conquistadores.
The details of our cultural experience are hidden behind this link.
The pictures are located here.
7. The Inca trail and Machu Picchu
We embarked on a 4-day trek partly on original Inca roads to Machu Picchu, the world famous ruins of an Inca-city high in the mountains.
All details about the Inca trail and Machu Picchu (and our opinion on both) can be found here.
The pictures are located here.
8. Arequipa and the Colca canyon
Arequipa is the second largest city of Peru. It is patched with a large number of colonial buildings made out of white lava stones, hence its nickname, the white city. We can confirm the color of the stones.
The Colca Canyon, a canyon deeper and larger than the more known Grand Canyon, can easily be reached from Arequipa. We descended the canyon. A challenge!
Our view on Arequipa and the story of our descent into the Colca canyon are found here.
The pictures of Arequipa as well as the Colca canyon are located here.
9. Puno and Lake Titicaca
Puno is the most important Peruvian city at Lake Titicaca. We went on a two day expedition to the Peruvian islands in the highest navigable lake in the world (Islas de los Uros, Amanti en Taquile).
Our story is posted here.
The pictures are located here.
