Travels with Liz: Chancay Castle

My first trip to Chancay Castle reminded me of a trip Liz and I took to Ramoji film studios in Hyderabad, India-they're both places expressly designed to provide crazy and fun photo opportunities in unreal settings.  I was happy to have the chance to take Liz there to experience it for herself.

Upon arrival, I was surprised to see that many changes had been made in the few months since my first trip.  There are many areas still under construction, so I guess I will have to make a trip back in another couple of months to see the finished product.

The faux stone exterior is new; the grey and red parts are still under construction

As we arrived early in the day this time, we were able to participate in the tours and activities at the castle. (Nothing makes you feel more like royalty than falconry!)

But, as I stated earlier, this place is all about the pictures, so here goes:

Liz' Juliet picture

Waiting for her prince...

She likes the strong, silent type

Travels with Liz: The Coast

Ica
Our days on the coast were marked by a different rhythm than those in the mountains.  Where before we were on the move most of the day (mostly to keep warm!), in Ica our movements were more languid as we soaked up the sun. We, of course, indulged in a wine & pisco tasting tour.  Fortified by our pisco tasting experience at the Museo del Pisco in Cusco, we were able to more intelligently appreciate the ones we tasted.

This is how the wine and pisco is stored while aging.  

At this winery, we were able to try wines and piscos of various ages.

We also stopped in Cachiche to see the Parque de las Brujas, a park dedicated to the local (good) witches who helped the people by curing diseases and dispensing love potions.

We were told if we hugged the tree we would be given health, success and love.

This statue is of the most famous good witch, Julia, who reportedly lived to be 106.

We also visited nearby Huacachina, an oasis in the desert.  Legend states that the lagoon was created from the tears of an Incan princess crying for her dead lover.  She is represented as the mermaid who perches on the banks of the lagoon.

On this trip, we opted not to explore the dunes via dune buggy or sand board, leaving that for a future trip.

Paracas
We stopped in Paracas, but unfortunately we arrived too late to take the boat tour to visit the island to see the sea lions.  We still enjoyed our time there, shopping, eating seafood and strolling along the waterfront.  Liz even got some great sunset shots!

Travels with Liz: The Mountains

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!)

Plaza de Armas

Nevertheless, we decided to make the most of our time in Cusco by-what else?-shopping!

Luckily, these costumes were just for pictures and we didn't have to buy them!

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. 

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

Pisac, as viewed from the ruins

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.

Various kinds of llamas and alpacas

La Catedral in the Plaza de Armas with the volcano, El Misti behind it

Jesuit church - Iglesia de la Compañia

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. 

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!