One of the best parts about having a couple of weeks off during the (scheduled) plant shutdown was being able to coordinate some vacation time with Liz. She agreed to come visit me here and we decided to do a pseudo backpacking trek around part of Peru. (Pseudo because we strongly believe in regular warm showers and periodic access to beds with sheets and blankets!) I was anxious to explore new places while I had a travelling companion and Liz was happy to see some of the variety of Peru.
Cusco
Our first experience was the not-for-the-feint-hearted flight to Cusco. One of the things to be aware of is how steep the descent is into the Cusco airport. I was prepared for it this time, but words were not quite enough to prepare Liz. That, along with a touch of altitude sickness, quickly put the brakes on our tentative plans to see Machu Picchu. (I really didn't mind at all-it just means Liz will have to come for another visit!)
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| Plaza de Armas |
Nevertheless, we decided to make the most of our time in Cusco by-what else?-shopping!
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| Luckily, these costumes were just for pictures and we didn't have to buy them! |
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| These ladies are telling Liz that she made a good choice on her sweater |
And we did take time to see the temple of the sun,
Qorikancha. It was nice to be able to take our time and wander around the site this time, instead of rushing through it with a tour. (It also helped that it wasn't raining,
like my visit with Shannon in April!)
To escape the cold and altitude of Cusco, we headed to Pisac, in the Sacred Valley, for a few days...
Pisac
In Pisac, we, of course, shopped...
...and spent a day walking around the ruins. Again, it was nice to be able relax and wander around at our own pace.
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We experienced a range of weather, just while touring the site-starting from cold and rainy at the top
to hot and sunny near the bottom |
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| Pisac, as viewed from the ruins |
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| Pisac's Temple of the Sun |
But soon we were ready to head off to a new destination: Arequipa.
Arequipa
I was eager to see Arequipa as my co-worker claims that the surrounding Colca Canyon is 'the most beautiful place' in Peru. Unfortunately, as we were travelling during the Founder's Day celebrations, Liz and I were unable to get a hotel for more than one night and were unable to book a tour to the Canyon. (I guess that just means I'll have to go back!) However, we were able to get up close and personal with some alpacas and llamas as well as see some of the sights and eat some of the food that Arequipa is renown for.
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| Various kinds of llamas and alpacas |
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| La Catedral in the Plaza de Armas with the volcano, El Misti behind it |
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| Jesuit church - Iglesia de la Compañia |
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| We spent most of a day enjoying the peace of the Monastario de Santa Catalina, a cloister that is so large it is described as a citadel within the city. |
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After the comparatively bland food in Cusco, we enjoyed some of the specialties Arequipa has to offer:
Cuy (guinea pig) and rocoto relleno (stuffed peppers) |
We enjoyed our time in the mountains, but I was anxious to move on to my preferred region: the coast!
