Alpacas are a common llama-like animal found in Peru. They are raised both for their soft wool, as well as their meat.
Peru
Machu Picchu in Pictures
The streets of Aguas Calientes were dark and empty at 4:20 AM when I met up with the others from the Salkantay Trek. Together, we began the 20-minute walk down the road to the main entrance of Machu Picchu. We arrived at 4:45 AM, just as the entrance was opened. This is the same entrance […]
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: What to Expect Each Day
The Salkantay Trek is a popular alternative to hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. What it lacks in ruins, it makes up for in scenery.
The Flower-Filled Entrance to Museo Larco
The Museo Rafael Larco Herrera is a privately owned museum in Lima. The main collection features Pre-Columbian art, including items from the Moche and Chimu civilizations, which I’d learned about while touring temples outside Trujillo. A visit to Museo Larco was among the first things I did in Lima, and that’s not because it houses […]
Renting Apartments in Lima, Peru
I booked my first apartment in Lima through an online, 3rd party service. The simple, modern 1-bedroom apartment in trendy Miraflores was perfect fit for me, both in terms of size and budget. It was also perfectly located between the cliffside shopping center of Larcomar, and Parque Kennedy. Plus, across the street were 4 quality […]
Pastoruri Glacier: Journey to 5,000 Meters
[P]astoruri Glacier is located a few hours from Huaraz, in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. Those who have been following me since my ’round the world trip know I’ve got a fascination with creeping up to higher and higher elevations. I can still remember when I thought hiking the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand, which hits 1,800 […]
A “Day of the Dead” Visit to Huascaran, Peru’s Tallest Mountain
[I] arrived in Huaraz (elev: 3,100 meters), at the foot of Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, just as the rainy season was getting underway. I didn’t care. This was the gateway to Peru’s tallest mountains, including Huascaran at 6,768 meters (22,205 feet), and I wasn’t going to miss it on my first visit to the country. After […]
Chan Chan: The Largest, Most Boring Pre-Columbian City in South America
Covering some 20 square kilometers of desert between Trujillo and the Pacific Ocean, the adobe city of Chan Chan was constructed by the Chimor civilization starting around 850 AD. This was about the same time the Moche civilization, which created Huaca de la Luna and Huaca del Sol, went into decline. Chan Chan was inhabited […]
Moche Ruins: Huaca de la Luna y Huaca del Sol
[F]ollowing in the footsteps of my friends Jack and Jill, I departed Chachapoyas in the mountains of northern Peru for Trujillo further south along the coast. As an aside, I took an overnight bus, which was far more comfortable, modern, and efficient than any bus I’ve taken in Colombia or Ecuador (or heck, even the […]
Gocta Cataracts: The World’s 3rd Tallest Waterfall
Visiting Gocta Waterfall, which is arguably the world’s 3rd tallest at 771 meters (2,530 feet), is an easy day trip from Chachapoyas. For $18, you can join a tour that includes roundtrip transportation in a minivan. The park entrance fee is another $2, and a fresh trucha (trout) lunch will run $3.50. The hike from […]
