Un lugar con mucho cosas

What an amazing place Peru is. The history is alive, beautiful and can been seen, felt, touched and even eaten everywhere. I thought after Machu Pichu there wouldn´t be much to see, was I ever wrong.
Arequipa is called the white city beause all the buildings and archways are made of white volcanic rock. When we first drove into the Plaza de Arma it was lit up and the archways glowed in the moonlight. It imprinted an image in my mind that I don´t think I´ll ever forget.

From here we headed into the desert coast of Peru (an extension of the Chilean desert), I believe the second driest in the world. It is vast and in most places nothing exist. Then we come upon valleys where water runs from the Andean mountains and boy are they ever rich and fertile. Everything grows. What an agriculture tour we have been on. Some new crops for us to see are the asparagus, artichoces, cotton, grapes, mangoes, figs, pecans, onions, rice, plums and more. I love how history comes to life for us here as the girls and I had just finished reading some books about slavery and cotton plantations. The next thing I knew we were picking cotton. It was interesting as the seeds are inside the white fluffy balls. The are sharp and prickly. Yet the people who pick the cotton during slavery times were punished for blood on the cotton, a next to impossible feat Í´d say.
We went to Nasca to see the famous Nasca lines, beautiful sand designs in the desert created by the Nasca people during PreIncan times. The best way to see them is by air in a tiny 4 seater plane. Treava and I toured together and our first sighting was the astronaut on the right and then the plane swirls to see the monkey on the left and then a 360 so the other person can see, on to the frog, the hummingbird an amazing tiltling of the wings and stomach and yikes, Treava lost her cookies and I sure wanted to do the same. It was though worth it as I don´t think there is anything like it in the world.
Then we went to an Oasis in the desert for sand boarding. What a kick in the pants. Personally I´ve never wanted to try snowboarding, yet after sandboarding I might be converted. The hostal we stayed in had the most adorable monkey the kids were able to play with and hold which the did ever free moment. It would cry when we put down. I think it was very lonely.

Today we are in Paracas and area hit very hard by the earthquake in August 2007. The rubble and destruction is painful to see in a country so poor. Yet the peoples spirits are positive, alive and upbeat. They are grateful to have their life as about 500 died here.
We went to see the island full of peguins, sea lions, seals, dolphins, commorant and millions of birds. They harvest the bird guana as there are so many birds.
Que le Via Bien. Lisa