Apr 1
Pisco, sand dunes and ancient, mysterious lines carved into the desert floor. These are the first things that come to mind when I think of the southern Peruvian coast. The area around Ica, Peru offers up some striking sand dunes that will make you feel like you are in the Sahara.
The mysterious Nazca lines of Peru. Surely you've seen them in National Geographic or watched them on Discovery channel at some point in your life. In case you haven't or maybe you have and you forgot, let me jog your memory. These lines, named a UNESCO world heritage site, are located in the Nazca desert in the south of Peru between the towns of Nazca and Palpa.
Colca Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the world, measuring 4,160 meters (13,640'). To give you some perspective, that’s twice as deep as the Grand Canyon! Woah man, that’s deep!
After our time in Cusco and visiting Machu Picchu, we headed south to Arequipa, also known as ‘La Ciudad Blanca’ (the white city). It gets its name because many of the buildings, especially around the main plaza, are made from silla, a white volcanic stone. Arequipa has a rich history and gorgeous colonial architecture and is now a Human Heritage UNESCO site. The setting is quite dramatic too, with the stunning El Misti, Chachani and PichuPichu volcanoes looming in the distance.
Normally we are fans of budget accommodation, preferring to spend our money on food but once in a while we like to splurge. Especially if it's a special occasion. For Laurent's birthday in November, I booked us at the Villa Jazmin hotel in Ica, Peru. We took a taxi (5 Soles) to the hotel from the bus station because it's located on the outskirts in a residential neighborhood. First things first. This was such a blessing.
Just another quick update. We put most of our photos from Bolivia & Peru. From BOLIVIA, you will find the photos from Lake Titicaca and La Paz (La Paz, Coroico, Copacabana & Isla del Sol), Central Highland (Cochabamba & Aiquile), the South Central (Sucre, Tarija & Rosilla) & the Southern Altiplano (Our tour to the Salar of Uyuni). And from PERU, you will find the photos from Lima, Cusco & the Sacred Valley (Cusco, Urubamba, The Salkantay Trek & Machu Picchu), the South Coast & Arequipa (Arequipa & Colca Canyon) & Lake Titicaca (LLachon). You can find all the best photos from Laurent on his Flickr gallery (Already available Uruguay, Argentina, Antarctica and Chile), the pictures from Bolivia & Peru will be available in December and January, stay tuned. You can also go and like his Facebook page L.L.P.. So if you are tired of reading, you can just look at the pictures! Click on the ‘photos’ tab and you can search by place. Enjoy!!!
One year ago on October 4, with much trepidation and excitement, Laurent & I landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina with just backpacks strapped to our backs containing everything we would need for the next two years. I had quit my job back in New York, sold my car and many of my possessions and had no idea what the future would hold.
Infused exposures 