How to fight alitude sickness on 4500 m above sea level....

Rough Ride to Puno.... 
 

Puno, the Folklore Capital of Peru is a melting pot of the Aymara and Quechua culture. Most of its inhabitants are of Andean origin and it has a unique mixture of modernity and Andean traditions. Women in traditional clothing live and work next to their modern versions. Puno's elevation is about 3,822m, which means it is fairly cold, especially at night.

Linda: "It was 6 hours ride!  On the way, we passed through 4500 meters in altitude - some of us were a bit short of breath on the bus but ok.  We stopped at the Sillustani Archaeological site which is 3,800 meter in altitude.  We hiked a hill to see the site and it took some effort to get on top.   Since we arrived in Lima and we have been drinking coca leafs tea.  So far, everyone is doing fine!"

Tina:  "4500 m?!  You guys are unbelievable! Let's plan the next trip to the Everest Base Camp!!!"

 Baño stop

Coca Leaves

"The coca leaf has been chewed and brewed for tea traditionally for centuries  in the Andean region. The traditional method of chewing coca leaf consists of keeping a saliva-soaked ball of coca leaves in the mouth together with an alkaline substance, such as lime or wood ash, which assists in extracting alkaloids, including cocaine from the leaves. When chewed, coca acts as a mild stimulant and suppresses hunger, thirst, pain, and fatigue. It helps overcome altitude sickness".

Linda joining a local woman for a little chill out ...

Once you learn about the local culture, religions, and superstitions, you will discover that most locals believe that your camera sort of "sucks out their soul" when you capture their image. They are quite adamant about avoiding looking into your lens. To be understanding of this idea and respectful to the people is a must. So what's the best way to get a great shot of a local "being natural" ? Smiling helps, and paying money is always a good strategy..

still in and around Arequipa ...ice cream testing

... we have featured on our last tour all of the Seto Group Travellers .... Today we are welcoming and  introducing a new couple as members ...

                   Janet and Ted Tam

Ted and Janet Tam met each other in Canada in the late 1960s. Falling in Love with this country they decided to choose Canada as their home, right here in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Both of them are retired. (How can you all retire so young(looking)?!

Ted worked as a professional engineer with Halifax Regional Municipality and his lovely wife Janet worked as a laboratory technician  at the IWK Hospital. Ted is an on-site laboratory specialist and examines Flora and Fauna, especially insects. He is an avid photographer and has a strong passion for plants and animals.

They have one daughter, one son and one grandson.

Welcome to the Seto Travel Club, Janet and Ted!

¿Quieres probar? .... Bueno!!!

A very unusual lunch ... not for the faint of heart...

I haven't talked much about the culinary highlights of Peru ... check out what's on the menu today...

.... No, this is isn't rat.... on Ted's plate....

...no, not a bat either...these two guys are enjoying guinea pigs!!!.. Look how skeptical the tour guide looks....

Linda: " We finished our tour with a special lunch, which Ted, Ping and Kitty will never forget: GUINEA PIG, a famous Peruvian dish. Look how pleased Ted is with his order!  Alex, our tour guide refused to try it!  It tasted better than Cantonese suckling baby pig!!"

  

Arequipa - The White City

Mystic Misti Volcano near Arequipa

Good morning from Arequipa ....

.... and why Arequipa is called the White City...

Arequipa is located at an altitude of 2325 m in the desert mountains of the Andes. This beautiful city is practically completly built out of sillar, a kind of white volcanic stone. This is why Arequipa is called the White City. With its one milion inhabitants, Arequipa is the second biggest city of Peru. The main square, the Plaza de Armas is the most beautiful of the country. The magnificent Catedrál and the shopping malls are in colonial style. It is the city of eternal Spring. 

Santa Catalina Monastery - interesting facts: The foundress of the monastery was a rich widow, Maria de Guzman. The tradition of the time indicated that the second son or daughter of a family would enter a life of service in the Church, and the monastery accepted only women from upper class Spanish families. Each family paid a dowry at their daughter's admission to the monastery. The dowry expected of a woman who wished to enter as a nun recitation was 2,400 silver coins, equivalent to about $ 150,000 (U.S.) today. The nuns were also required to bring 25 listed items, including a statue, a painting, a lamp and clothes. The wealthiest nuns may have brought fine English china and silk curtains and rugs. Although it was possible for poorer nuns to enter the convent without paying a dowry, it can be seen from the cells that most of the nuns were very wealthy.

At the Santa Catalina monastery : Kathy in front of the nunnery washing basin and Joe & Winnie in front of the fountain

Group Photo at the arch of the beautiful Arequipa Cathedral

Bald is beautiful - Joe and Ping:  "We know!"

The Wong Brothers:  Ken and Peter,   in front of snow covered El Misti Volcano. We already know them as tough South Africa Explorers!

Scary Journey to Arequipa ....

.... what originally was planned as a 10 hours drive ended up to be a 12 hour real life adventure...

Linda: "After long 12 hours journey with winding mountain road hugging along the coastal line, we finally got into Arequipa.  Intrepid provided two drivers with mechanical background for the trip.  It was scary at some points with high cliffs...  Glad it was over and we don't have to do it again".

Tina: Well done, group Seto.... I am very proud of you all!

This is a good opportunity to introduce our Tour Company INTREPID which is one of the leading companies when it comes to Adventure Travel and perfect for smaller groups.

Intrepid Travel, founded in Melbourne, Australia is a small group adventure travel company that offers approximately 800 scheduled and customized  itineraries in Asia, Latin America, North America, Europe, The Middle East, Africa, Australasia and Antarctica. 
 


    

Lamas are held as pets sometimes

... view from the mountain road and along the coastal line

The Nazca Lines

Alert: There is a black line going through my last post. I am still trying to figure out what happened...

The Nazca Lines are a series of ancient geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in southern Peru.

Contrary to the popular belief that the lines and figures can only be seen with the aid of flight, they are visible from the top of surrounding foothills.
Various interpretations on the lines have challenged scientists, archaeologists and anthropologists.
The general consensus is that the Nazca Lines were created by the Nazca people themselves, without help from alien visitors or aerial views. The figures drawn in the desert correspond with images found in other examples of Nazca art, such as pottery.

On the road to Nazca.....

From Pisco to Nazca ....

... through One Thousand and One nights landscapes...

.... to a perfect place for lunch....

Oasis Huacachina

... and our highlight for for the evening...!

Pacha Manga - Typical Peruvian Highland food

Linda: " We had our Pacha Manga (typical Peruvian Highland food cooked in the earth = earth meal at a local farm.  Soulivanh and  Jeannine were our God father and Godmother.  They blessed the earth and food before they dug out our food (it is cooked under the earth with hot rocks). We had chicken, pork, cheese, vegetable, corn sweet and other potatoes. It was delicious!!"

 

You can see Soulivanh and Jeannine blessing the earth before the food is "harvested"...

... later at the Lama Bar .... Linda and Joe making friends with the owner of the bar  - Ms Lima Lama