Peru Part I / Lima, Nasca, Arequipa & Chivay

Welcome to Peru. The country has more to offer than just Machu Picchu - from nature, culinary food to culture. But let's start from the beginning.

Lima

Arriving in Lima, I was impressed by the excellent organization at the airport. The passport control and luggage retrieval were extremely efficient. Lima has over 10 million inhabitants, so it wasn't easy to make my way through the crowd and find a taxi.

My tour started in Lima, which will take me all the way to Buenos Aires. I arrived very late at the hostel and missed the starting meeting with the tour members. I went in search of them and found them at the restaurant. As expected, there were many Australians present. But this time there were also a few Canadians, Scots, and Germans. Unfortunately, I had very little time to visit Lima as we were heading to Pisco-Paracas the next day. With the most comfortable bus company in all of South America - Cruz del Sur! Large & comfortable adjustable seats, footrests, pillows & blankets, better food than on airplanes, and a personal screen with all kinds of entertainment. In Paracas, it was the last opportunity to enjoy the beach, as we were now heading inland. Unfortunately, the beach and the water were very dirty, so we preferred not to take a last swim.

Nazca

The journey from Paracas to Nazca was incredible. The highway cuts right through the sand desert. Sand and rock mountains on both sides as far as the eye can see. On the way, we made a stop in Ica for a wine tasting. At the "El Gatador" winery, we tried wines and Pisco - brandy from Peru. The last stop before Nazca was in Huacachina. Here, we were able to race through the desert with the sand buggies. It was a 9-seater buggy, and our driver (Alfredo) was the craziest of all! The nearly two-hour ride in the desert was pure adrenaline! The feeling of zooming down a sand dune was sometimes better than on a roller coaster. Occasionally, we stopped to take out the boards. Sandboarding was on the agenda. On one hill, we reached speeds of up to 60 km/h - but we had to do this hill lying down.

In the late afternoon, we drove to Nazca. Unfortunately, we had to make a two-hour stop due to the road being completely flooded. Water came out of every hole in the nearby houses. Nazca is known for its dryness, and it only rains about 3-5 mm per year. On that day, it rained up to 20 mm! A catastrophe for the residents...

In Nazca, we visited the graves of the Urnas. The archaeologists found mummies that are over 2,000 years old. At that time, the Nazcas lived up to 40 years and were laid in 2-meter-high graves after their death. They were placed inside, covered, and adorned. The Nazcas believed in the reincarnation as humans. That's why they were always placed in the graves facing east (the side of sunrise). Sometimes they even sacrificed themselves if they had a bad life in order to experience a better one again.

Arequipa

I spent the next night on a night bus (Cruz del Sur!). We traveled to Arequipa, which is known for its 'Picanterías'. It offers a variety of different spicy regional dishes. The San Camilo Market was huge. The selection of fruits and vegetables was incredible - of course, I had to try many exotic fruits.

Chivay

We didn't have much time in Arequipa as we drove to Chivay early in the morning. The five-hour drive was once again a spectacle! Peru truly offers a magnificent natural panorama. On the way, we saw some Vicuñas near the Misti volcano. A stop for a short photoshoot was a must. We also had an Inca tea along the way. This herbal tea consists of Coca, Muña, Chachacoma & Tola - very delicious. In Chivay, we took an hour-long walk through the city. A climb of about 10 minutes felt like 1 hour of endurance training! Oh, by the way, Chivay is located at almost 3,700 meters above sea level.

The Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world, with a depth of 1,200 meters. We also went to the Cruz del Condor. Here, we saw the magnificent Andean condors soaring in the canyon. I put away my phone and enjoyed the moment - unique. During dinner, we had the opportunity to participate in a traditional Wititi dance. This dance is dedicated to Pachamama (Mother Earth).

Soon we will be heading to Cusco, and the challenging week with the four-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu will begin. But as mentioned before, Peru has more than just Machu Picchu. In the next two weeks, we will visit the Rainbow Mountain and Lake Titicaca, among other places.

Stay tuned!