Day 8 (16-Dec-15) Corporaque – Colca Canyon – Corporaque

ACHTUNG! ACHTUNG! Donner und Blitzen! Spitfeuer kommen aus die Sonne…. OK perhaps not, but the sudden sight of an Andean Condor flying towards us at speed, with its 2.8m wing span fully outstretched, did make me wonder for a moment whether his stealth approach signaled an interest in one of us as lunch! Thankfully, these magnificent birds, while arguably less regal looking than their close rivals, the Grey Eagle, are quite harmless, as they lack talons and a powerful beak. They thus purely scavenge for carrion – dead horses, alpacas, llamas, Andean deer. However, what they lack in weaponry, they more than make up with sight 4 times more powerful than an eagle, hearing 20 times greater than a dog, and they are also one of the few bird species with a keen sense of smell. As such, they can target distressed or dying animals while gliding effortlessly at altitudes up to 7000m! These specialisations, combined with its massive size (1.2m body length and 12kg weight) has imbued the Condor with legendary status, with no natural enemies, other than man. Its acrobatic skills and exceptional sensory perceptions are considered to be the result of magical powers bestowed on the bird in many Andean pre-Colombian religions.

 

To have any chance of sighting Condors it was necessary to be on the road by 06:00hrs, with a feverish start to the day at 05:15hrs to prepare the many cameras and camcorders, and to shovel down a light breakfast. The visit to Cruz Del Condor had been eagerly anticipated since finalising the Peru itinerary 8 months ago, as was the drive on the way through the world famous Canon del Colca. It’s not just the vastness and depth of this canyon that makes it so special. There are the many scenery changes, both up its flanks and along its 100km passage, from the snow-capped volcanic peaks towering either side, down through the barren Altiplano plateau, then the steep slopes covered in ancient terraces that are among the most extensive in the world, and finally vertical canyon walls that drop down into the Rio Colca. Its impressive size was not fully appreciated until it was thoroughly explored in the 1980’s. It is now recognised as the second-deepest canyon in the world, and twice as deep as the more famous Grand Canyon.

 

On leaving the hotel we retraced our steps to Chivay and then diverted onto the road that nestles the southern rim of the canyon. Our first stop was the village of xxxxxx to visit the Colonial era church. The village was struck by a massive earthquake in 2001 that all but flattened most dwellings, with many still not fully repaired. The church too was badly damaged, but with little evidence of the damage still remaining, and the beautiful interior a stark contrast to the surrounding ramshackle dwellings. We then continued on our way up the canyon to Cruz De Canyon, stopping at various viewing points for obligatory photos of the stunning landscapes, and of course photos of Simon with some of the local inhabitants, both 2-legged and 4-legged.

 

Many tourist sights are much hyped and anticlimatical, but Cruz Del Condor is not one of them. No advance press can truly sell the panoramas that unfold at this place 50km from Chivay, or the sightings of the world’s largest bird gliding effortlessly through the canyon above and below this vantage point. It’s a mesmerizing scene, heightened by the near-vertical 1200m drop to the canyon floor, and the sight of Nevada Sepregina rising 3000m above the canyon floor on the far side of the ravine. We were truly blessed, with our patient stay at Cruz Del Condor rewarded with numerous sightings of Condors, both juveniles and adults. Suffice to say we filled a few SD cards and drained a few battery packs capturing photos and video of their acrobatics.

 

Very satisfied with our efforts, we then continued along the canyon to Cabanaconde, which is scarcely visited by tourists, which is a great shame as the attractions are obvious – less people, more authenticity and greater tranquillity. It is also situated at the most dramatic section of the canyon – the word ‘small’ would not be used in any description of this part of the canyon, from the hanging glaciers at the top to the rushing river at the bottom. It is also the place we chose for a hike down into the canyon. Armed with a packed lunch, and as much water as we could carry, the Three Musketeers, with Christian as our guide, followed the 1000-year-old trial down 1100m to the bridge across the Rio Colca, at the bottom of the canyon at 2405m. Half way down Astrid and Simon stopped for lunch, while I continued to the bottom. I met them on the hike back to the start of the 6km trial, which we completed in exactly four hours. Aching and tired from the exertion and thin air we downed a bottle of beer each to celebrate our achievement, though the joy was short-lived due to a very tragic incident which has no place in this blog. Suffice to say Astrid was left very tearful and I can only hope that events planned for the days ahead will help her to forget.

 

The journey back to the hotel was uneventful; largely because we dozed through most of it. We then spent the next two hours attending to personal hygiene and sifting through the hundreds of photos that we had captured. We were then taken back to Chivay for dinner, which was accompanied by music and dancing by a local troupe – very enjoyable.

Day 7 (15-Dec-15) Arequipa - Corporaque

Another leisurely start to the day, with Christian arriving at the hotel with a new driver, Julio, at 09:00hrs. We then departed Arequipa over the Altiplano (high plain) plateau to Chivay, via Patahausi, Vizcahani and Tocrapampa. The very circuitous route at the beginning took us around the backside of ChaChani and Misti volcanos, before entering the Salinas and Aguada Blanca national park. Entrance to this vast reserve is free, which is a great deal given this Andean expanse is home to a multitude of dozing volcanoes and brawny wildlife forging out an existence against the odds several kilometres above sea level. The climax of the journey across the Altiplano is the viewing spot at a giddy 4910m (16,105ft), with many tourists opting to take Diamox to mitigate risk of altitude sickness. On the way we encountered numerous herds of Alpacas, Lamas, and their wild cousin the Vicuna. Smaller than both Lamas and Alpacas, they are nonetheless more fleet of foot, and can reach eye-popping speeds of 85kph across the desolate pampa – far faster than I could hope to achieve, given the laboured breathing required simply to get out of the bus!

 

The scenery on route was simply stunning, with volcanoes all around puncturing a blue sky dotted with white cumulous clouds, and the Alto Plano stretching in all directions as far as the eye could see. Aside to mammals, we also encountered flocks of flamingos, Andean geese, Andean gulls, and a variety of duck with distinctive blue beaks indigenous to the region. Perhaps most impressive of all was the smoke emanating from Nevado Sabancaya (5976m), creating a plume that stretched up into the stratosphere; a very visible and clear reminder that we were essentially on the Pacific Rim of Fire that extends around the Pacific from New Zealand up through Japan, Kamchatka Peninsula, around the Aleutian Islands, down through the Rockies of Canada and USA, into Mexico and then along the entire length of the Andes in South America.

 

The descent from the highest viewing point at 5910m into Chivay at 3651m, was very steep and involved navigating innumerable tight hairpin bends; a route that leaves many people very car sick. Thankfully, none of us were left bilious, though Astrid did feel somewhat light-headed from the altitude. However, this did not stop us from consuming a hearty lunch in Chivay, after which we then took a stroll down through the Plaza to view the 300 year old colonial era church at the main plaza. Suitably impressed we then dived into the local market to purchase Diamox for Astrid and Simon, a spare battery for Simon’s heart rate monitor, and some XXXXXL size underwear for Simon to cradle the small family jewels… We then headed onto our final destination for the day at Coporaque. After checking in at the very delightful Mama Yacchi Lodge, we then embarked on a 1.5hr hike to visit an ancient burial ground some 2000ft above the village, with the route affording magnificent views of the steep terraced slopes around the Calco valley. On return to the hotel we then jumped back into the bus for the short trip to the local hot springs to soak away the aches and pains of the hike and altitude. These hot springs originate close to the volcanic vents that feed the many volcanoes in the region, with the smoke stack still emanating from Nevado Sabancaya looking very menacing as the sun dipped below the horizon. Suitably refreshed, we headed back to the hotel for a sumptuous feast, and to finalise plans for the exhausting day ahead….

 

Day 6 (14-Dec-15) Arequipa

No rest for the wicked! Although today’s programme wasn’t jam packed originally, it turned out to be a rather eventful and busy day. Fortunately, we wouldn’t be meeting Christian, our guide in Arequipa, until 9 o’clock, which afforded us the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing breakfast before setting off on today’s sightseeing tour. Our first stop was a lookout point at the outskirts of the city, from which we had a panoramic view of the magnificent valleys and volcanos cradling the city to the south beneath Azul blue skies. The city is flanked by three massive volcanoes. Misti at 5825m has a classical cone structure, and is easily summited without need for special climbing equipment or skills. The volcano is currently dormant, with the last major eruption occurring before the Conquistadores arrived. However, from the summit, it is possible to look down into the crater and see superheated steam pouring from numerous vents, with the smell of hydrogen sulphide gas permeating the air. Misti is also now unequivocally recognised as the source of the mighty Amazon river, with water emerging from a fissure in the side of a steep cliff at 5170m. At 6075m Chachani is much bigger and slightly taller, and has acquired a reputation for being the simplest climb of any summit above 6000m anywhere in the world. This is because you drive to base camp at just over 5000m, sleep until midnight, then embark on an alpine ascent up the last 1075m to arrive at the summit just after dawn. Pichu Pichu at 5664m is farthest from Arequipe, but affords the most spectacular views of the Altiplano plateau from the summit. 

Normally, summer in Peru heralds the wet season, with the summits of the volcanoes usually blanketed in snow. This snow is the source of the drinking water for the city and also irrigates the many fields and terraces in the valley that yield 2-3 vegetable crops a year. This year however, because of the El Niño effect, there is no snow cover whatsoever, with the people of Arequipa already on water rations. With El Niño expected to last 2-3 years, there is much anguish among the farmers for their future livelihoods. The lack of rain has also been accompanied by a lack of wind, with a brown haze very evident over the city centre, made worse by extensive copper mining operations in the hill country to the east of the city.

 

After soaking in the sights and sounds of this tranquil spot we headed to another vantage point in town affording views of the city centre and its famous colonial cathedral. By now, even though it was still only 10:00hrs, the intense sunlight was brutal. While the air temperature was a pleasant 20C, the high altitude, low latitude and the presence of a large hole in the ozone layer over this part of the world meant UV levels were off the chart. We thus had to cover up as much as possible and slather on liquid lead over any remaining exposed skin. Despite these precautions, I still ended the day with chapped lips and a very red neck.
 

We then headed down town, where we visited Arequipa’s oldest church, Iglesia La Compania de Jesus. This Jesuit church is famous for its front façade, an intricately carved masterpiece of the churrigueresque style (think baroque and then some). The equally detailed altar, completely covered in gold leaf, takes the style further and is eerily familiar to anyone who has visited the cathedral in Seville. To the left of the altar is the San Ignacio Chapel which has a cupola smothered in jungle murals of flowers, fruits and birds, mingled with warriors and angels, dating back four centuries. The walls of the main church were at one time similarly covered, but the porous volcanic stone used to construct the church would allow moisture through during the wet season, causing the murals to fade and eventually fall off.
 
Following this visual feast we then made our way over the town centre, the Plaza de Armas, which is dominated on its northern end by La Catedral. The original structure, dating from 1656, was gutted by fire in 1844. Consequently rebuilt, it was then flattened shortly thereafter by the earthquake of 1868. Having been rebuilt a 3^rd time, the massive 8.1 earthquake of 2001 toppled one of the enormous spires and caused the other to topple precariously. Astonishingly, following feverish repair work, with many of the city inhabitants contributing their time and labour for free, the cathedral looked as good as new, in its current form, within just 10 months; such is the passion for the Catholic church in this part of the New World. Indeed, Arequipa is as much famous for its many religious street processions as it is for its colonial history and surrounding landscapes. The cathedral is the only one in Peru that stretches the length of a plaza. The interior is simple and airy, with a luminous quality, and the high vaults are uncluttered. It is one of less than 100 basilicas in the world entitled to display the Vatican flag (following the hugely popular visit by Pope John Paul II in 1985). Both the altar and the 12 columns (symbolizing the 12 Apostles) are made of Italian marble. The huge Byzantine-style brass lamp hanging in front of the altar is from Spain and the pulpit was carved in France. In 1870, Belgium provided the very impressive organ, the largest in South America.

 

Suitably impressed we then headed over to the Monasterio de Santa Catalina. This convent, a 20,000 meter complex is almost a citadel within the city, occupies a whole block and, guarded by imposing high walls, is one of the most fascinating religious buildings in Peru. It was founded in 1580 by a rich widow, and comprises three main cloisters. The Novice Cloister housed new entrants, often the 2^nd daughters of nobility, committed at the age 12 to a vow of solemn silence and a life of work and prayer. These poor girls would stay in this Cloister for four years, spending 20hrs a day in their room, and praying for 7hrs a day. At the end of this four years they had the choice between taking their vows and entering into religious service or leaving the convent, though this latter choice would bring great shame upon their family. Graduated novices moved onto the Orange Cloister, named for the orange trees in the centre, symbolising renewal and eternal life. This part of the convent houses the cell of Sor Ana, a nun renowned for her eerily accurate predictions of the future and the miracles she is said to have performed until her death in 1868. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II as part of his 1985 visit. The Great Clositer was used for communal events and is now flanked on one side by an art gallery housing many great religious treasures.

 

Suffering from cultural overload we then headed for lunch to sample the famous Chupe de Camerones, which is not too dissimilar to Laksa, but not as spicy. Very delicious. We then strolled the streets, to buy provisions for the days ahead in the Alto Plano and Colca Canyon. We then detoured for an obligatory Starbucks coffee to recharge caffeine levels before heading off to visit Juanita – the famous ‘Ice Maiden’. This for me was the highlight of our stay in Arequipa, as I remember being amazed by her story in National Geographic many years ago. In 1992 a local mountaineer came across Inca religious artefacts on a guided expedition to the summit of Nevado Ampato (6310m). In 1995 he convinced America climber and archaeologist Johan Reinhard to return to the volcano, sponsored by National Geographic. At that time the nearby Sabancaya volcano had erupted, spewing ash that melted the snow covered peak of Ampato. Upon arrival at the summit they immediately found a statue and other offerings, but the burial site had collapsed and there was no sign of a body. Ingeniously, the team rolled rocks down the crater and, by following them, they spotted a bundled mummy of an Inca girl, which had been perfectly preserved by ice for close to 500 years. Her body and other artefacts are now on display in the Museo Santuarios Andinos. What is truly fascinating are the shoes, made of grass and Alpaca wool only, worn by the young girl and the priests as they climbed the mountain. Today we would not think of undertaking such a climb without strong plastic boots with felt linings and crampons. By contrast, the Incas were scaling peaks 2km higher than Mont Blanc, 300 years before the first successful ascent of Mont Blanc.

 

Suitably impressed, we decided to watch the sunset from a roof top restaurant, with the hike up the stairs leaving us breathless. In the fading sunlight the volcanoes revealed their subtle hues and intricate lines, with the bottle of wine adding to the serenity. Simon then headed off to fix his feet, subjecting some poor local girl to the sight and smell of pigmy trotters with red varnished nails. Astrid and I opted for a snooze instead, ahead of another sumptuous feast at ZigZag. An enjoyable day had by all!

 

Day 5 (13-Dec-15) Paracas - Lima - Arequipa

Today was essentially a rest day, with a leisurely breakfast at 08:00hrs. We spent nearly 2 hours catching up on administration – blog, work and personal e-mails, Facebook entries, catching up on world news and swapping photos. We then spent an hour in the gym before then heading to our rooms to pack for the return bus journey to Lima. We again were assigned front row seats on the top deck – and once again found the entire journey fogged in. We considered ourselves very lucky that the fog had not encroached during our tour of the Islas Ballestas and Paracas National Park. This fog is also not normal for this time of year – another bad omen stemming from the powerful El Nino event impacting countries all around the Pacific Basin.

 

Once back in Lima we were met again by Ralph to escort us across town to the airport for the connecting flight to Arequipa. Following check-in formalities we enjoyed another Starbucks coffee in the domestic lounge before then boarding the flight at 19:30hrs. The flight to Arequipa was uneventful, though Simon was squashed in the back of the plane while Astrid and I were given seats at the emergency exit over the wings, which therefore have extra leg room. Clearly the Gods continue to smile on Astrid leading up to her 50^th birthday in a few days time.

 

On arrival in Arequipa we were met by our guide for the next few days and taken to our Hotel – a modest by brand new place in the centre of town. Set in the Andes this city of 1 million, which is the second largest in Peru after Lima, is just 1/10^th the size of Lima. However, it punches well above its weight due to its unique colonial buildings, the close proximity to the Andes, and the vast choice of wilderness adventures available. Given the late hour we simply dumped our luggage in our rooms and then headed out into the brisk fresh air to grab a quick bite at ZigZag, a famous local restaurant. Following some very fine dining, washed as usual with fermented grape, we headed back to the Hotel just before midnight. All-in-all a very quiet, with thankfully all arranged transport departing and arriving on time, and with no hiatus.

Day 4 (12-Dec-15) Paracas (Islas Ballestas & Paracas National Park)

Unfortunately, despite overwhelming tiredness, none of us managed a good night sleep. Simon is also suffering gastric problems, which is causing his sphincter to suffer bipolar disorder! Undeterred, and wearing reusable extra-absorbent incontinence panties from Wearever (his favourite shop for woman’s products), Simon followed us to the Hotel lobby at 07:50hrs for the short excursion to the marina for our boat tour of Islas Ballestas. This marine reserve comprises a number of small uninhabited rocky islands +/- 10 miles offshore from the Paracas peninsula. We only added this tour to our Peru itinerary a few weeks ago, and merely as a way to pass time before returning to Lima for the onward flight to Arequipa. BOY, WHERE WE IN FOR A BIG SURPRISE!!!!

On reaching the opposite side of Paracas Bay we suddenly found ourselves confronted by hundreds of Peruvian Pelicans, sporting grey bodies and red and yellow stripped bills, along with numerous Red-Footed Cormorants, sitting on a small rise. Pleasantly surprised, we continued on our way by fast speedboat to the islands. On the way we found ourselves confronted by thousands of Guanay Cormorants bathing in the ocean before then heading off in enormous ‘squadrons’ towards the coast. Gobsmacked, we continued on the crossing to the islands. On arrival, we found ourselves looking up at literally tens of thousands of birds clinging to the cliffs, occupying every nook and cranny, and of a myriad different types. Aside to more Pelicans and Red-Footed Cormorants, there were Inca Terns, Humboldt Penguins, Gannets, Peruvian Boobies, Turkey Vultures, Elegant Tern, Franklins Gulls, Kelp Gulls, Elegant Terns, Gray Gulls, Neotropic Corporants and many smaller critters that I was unable to capture on film. And if that were not enough to satisfy every Onithologists wildest dreams, there were also large numbers of sea lions and dolphins to captivate visitors. Perhaps the most amazing encounter was the sight of a Galapagos Booby, which is extremely rare given the waters around Peru are normally much colder – 12C due to the Humboldt current. This year however we are in the midst of an extreme El Nino event (predicted to be the strongest ever), with local sea temperature now an eye-popping 20C. The sight of the Galapagos Booby is thus viewed as a harbinger of bad times to come…. 

For the next two hours we drifted close to the cliffs of all three islands, with the skies filled with birds returning to roost or taking off in search of food to feed the many fledglings perched in their nests. The three of us were constantly elbowing each other to point out sights that should be premiered in BBC Nature or National Geographic documentaries. With memory cards and batteries depleted we headed back to the mainland. On route we found ourselves being ‘attacked’ by legions of pelicans and cormorants, flying single file +/- 20ft above sea level, as far as the eye could see. What amazed me in particular was their effortless flight. While we were travelling at speed in a streamlined fibre class boat fitted with 2 x 350 hp outboard engines, we found ourselves nonetheless inundated with disdainful looks from pelicans that chased us down without a single twitch of their wings, and simply ‘glided’ past us. As we returned to the marina I struggled with the fact this tour is a mere footnote in the Lonely Planet Guide. That this place does not have international recognition or advertised more extensively simply beggars belief!

 

On return to the Hotel we had just 30 minutes to reload cameras with new memory cards and battery packs and to wash off the salt spray and guano (bird s**t) that we accumulated on our boat trip. We then headed back to the Hotel entrance for 2.5hr guided trip to Paracas National Park, which straddles the peninsula. This place is also rich in bird life, archaeological artefacts and stepped in history. It is the place where General Jose de San Martin from Argentina landed his armies in the 1820s to defeat the Spanish, leading to the establishment of a free and independent Peru. It was also home to an ancient pre-Columbian civilisation that 3000 years ago had mastered trepanning (brain surgery), and wrapped their dead carefully in bundles that were laid to rest in mass graves. The stark landscape within the national park owes it beauty to the severe lack of rain, with the buried bundles left to mummify naturally in the very desiccated conditions. While the sight of large colonises of Boobies and Pelicans perched precariously on various cliffs will be of interest to many, it is the stark landscape that is the biggest draw for the many tourists that visit this place. The different pastel hues of the limestone, sandstone and granite formations, made jagged by the many powerful earthquakes that strike this region, are unlike any other desert that I have seen. Most fascinating is the ochre coloured beach sand. 

Our tour guide must have found our child-like enthusiasm very beguiling (we even helped him pick up trash off the beaches), as he extended the tour to nearly 4 hours. At the end we visited a private museum back in Paracas that are filled with skulls that show evidence of trepanning, and other skulls revealing the ancient practice of head deforming –very bizzare. We then walked back to the Hotel, stopping off on the way for a quick snack, washed down with a few Pisco Sours. We then spent the next few hours downloading and filtering the hundreds of photos of today’s adventures, and being thankful that Astrid brought her Canon D5 MKII Bazooka to Peru. We ended by the day doing something stupid – drinking too much wine……

 

Day 3 (11-Dec-15) Lima - Paracas (Nazca Lines)

Fortunately, we’d already packed most of our belongings last night as Ralf had made a mistake in the pick-up time. Rather than a 06:30 pickup, we should have been on the road to the bus station for the 3.5hr luxury coach to Paracas at 06:00hrs. Alas, grey skies and coastal fog ruled most of the way and I was starting to have serious doubts about being able to spot and photograph the famous Nazca Lines that afternoon. Thankfully, the Gods not only left fingerprints, but obviously were with us once again today, as by the time we reached Paracas, the fog had completely cleared, revealing a vast desert landscape below cloudless blue skies. Game On!

 

After a brief stop at the Hotel we were then taken to a nearby airport for the much-anticipated flight over Nazca. The airport is brand new – indeed much of it is still wrapped in cellophane, as the official opening is scheduled for early 2016. Following brief check-in formalities we were escorted to our plane, a small Cessna Grandcaravan; a single engine shoulder-wing aircraft able to take 8 passengers. The small size of the plane completely ‘únhinged’ Simon, who seemingly has had near-death experiences in the past during his days flying in small aircraft to/from oil rigs. Suffice to say however we take off with minimal fuss and headed out over the vast desert landscape towards the mighty Andes. The scenery on route was stark – this region is an extension of the Atacama desert, which is the driest place on Earth, with an average annual rainfall of less than 30 minutes. Indeed, years can pass with no rain at all. Slicing through this red arid monotony are rivers carrying melt water down from glaciers in the high Andes to the coast, with land on both banks cultivated to grow water-hungry crops such as cotton. Other parts of the desert have also been made fertile by drilling boreholes into underlying aquifers, with asparagus, onions and maize grown using drip feed technology.

On arrival at the world famous Nazca plain the pilot descended to just over 2000ft and then initiated a series of dramatic aerobatic manoeuvres to ‘get up close and personal’ with the many Geoglyphs etched into the surface of the plain. This involved pitching the aircraft into tight turns, pulling 2G, in order to drop the wing at right angles to the ground, thereby affording Astrid an unencumbered view of the various geoglyphs that she could photograph with her Canon D5 MKII Bazooka. While Simon and I were distracted by visions of imminent death and severe nausea, Astrid managed to remain focused on the task at hand, capturing photos of all 13 major geoglyphs, and looking sublime throughout. 

 

Thankfully, the return journey back to Pisco airport was assisted by a strong tailwind, with feet once again on terra firma by 15:00hrs; though stomachs still lagged far behind somewhere over the Nazca plain. We then headed straight back to the Hotel for a belated lunch - simple fare, given our still fragile constitution. It was only then that we at last got the opportunity to glimpse Astrid’s photos, and realised very quickly that they were immeasurably superior to the ones that Simon and I had taken – Mission accomplished!

 

We then retreated to the pool for some well-deserved relaxation, but despite the overwhelming desire to snooze, I became suddenly transfixed by the sight of huge numbers and variety of sea birds on the shoreline and enormous flocks flying overhead. I thus spent the next hour before sundown walking up and down the beach taking photos and watching their antics, and being amazed in particular by the sight of hundreds of birds, flying in close formation, suddenly changing direction in mid-air. How the birds in these massive flocks avoid colliding with each other defies explanation. The large Turkey Vultures, with their bright red heads, soaring effortlessly, were perhaps the most impressive sight. 

 

With the sun disappearing over the Paracas Nature Reserve we then retired to our rooms for a quick shower and to spend time transferring photos and video from 5 cameras onto the Asus laptop computer. We then headed into town for a sumptuous feast and a nice bottle of white wine. Alas, we failed miserably to find either, but that did little to diminish our joy of today’s once-in-a-lifetime adventure, with Astrid fulfilling a life-long dream.

Day 2 (10-Dec-15) Lima

Clearly four large Pisco Sours is a perfect cure for jet lag as we all slept like a log until being rudely awoken by multiple gadgets at 06:30hrs. A quick peek through the curtains revealed perfect blue skies and a warm sun rising over a parched city of 11 million. Following a quick breakfast we departed the hotel in search of Lima’s most important, though not necessarily most famous, offering - Starbucks coffee. Being Navidad (Spanish for Christmas), I was able to indulge in a Venti size Dark Cherry Mocha, while Astrid and my girlfriend (Simon) opted for a (gay boy) latte.

We then made our way back to the Hotel to be picked up by Ralph, our Germanic guide, who aside to being fluent in German, was thankfully also very proficient in English and Spanish – albeit with a Bayerische accent. Despite spending most of his life in Peru, Ralph evidently believed that German (lack of) autobahn speed limits applied, driving us to Lima Centro at speeds that would have broken the lap time record at the Hockenheim F1 circuit.

On arrival, we were disgorged unceremoniously at Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor), where we then walked to the Monasterio de San Fransisco. This imposing structure is a feat of civil engineering wonder and architectural sophistication; exceeded only by the artistic splendour of the Moorish murals, tapestries and intricate wood panelling, and the New World’s largest library of ancient manuscripts and hand written texts. Construction took over a 100 years, commencing in the 16^th century, and has survived intact through every major earthquake over the past 500 years. This engineering feat was achieved through the use of fired bricks, bound using a unique cement recipe that included egg shells and a special natural glue extracted from a local plant to greatly improve cement ductility, and the inclusion of deep circular holes in the foundation to route seismic energy around the base of the church spires. At the time of our visit the monks were delivering Mass to a dismally small congregation, with soothing Gregorian chants suddenly giving way to spine-tingling music from the church organ as we entered the catacombs below. This eerie place was filled with the bones of thousands who had the ‘privilege’ of having their carcass tossed into the mass grave since the 17^th century, with the practice only stopped 200 years later after a major earthquake swallowed up some of the skeletal remains.

Back outside we strolled through the plaza to view the many neoclassical buildings that are now home to various government buildings. We then strolled down pedestrian-only streets to look at much older colonial era buildings that tragically are now nothing more than facades – essentially nothing more than glorified Hollywood-style film sets.

We then headed over to the Larco Museum, which was once a private collection by Rafael Larco Hoyle, a remarkable individual who by the age of 26 had amassed a collection of Pre-Colombian ceramics, textiles and jewellery comprising over 50,000 separate objects. It would easily take a whole week to scrutinize each and every one of these exquisite items, which have been grouped according to the many different cultures that have occupied Peru since the stone age. Suffice to say our brief 2- hr visit did not do justice to this amazing legacy compiled by Rafael, who bequeathed the entire collection to the people of Peru. Nonetheless, we left with a great appreciation of the amazing sophistication and ingenuity of these ancient civilisations.

Duly impressed we returned to Miraflores via San Isidro. With the rest of the day denoted as relaxation we elected to do the exact opposite by hiking to the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Playa Costa Verde. After strolling along the cliffs for a few kilometres, gazing upon the exotic birdlife and people floating by in paragilders, we headed back to the hotel for a quick snooze. Batteries recharged we then headed back into Miraflores restaurant district for sumptuous Peruvian feast, washed down by more Pisco Sours - a great way to end our first full day in Peru.

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