Wednesday, 21 November 2012

The Amazon Jungle: Tambopata National Reserve. www.nomadperu.com



Perú is a country with a big biodiversity, our jungle is 60 % of the territory and its part of the amazon the amazon basin. The Amazonas River starts in Perú and goes until the Atlantic Ocean. 
There are protected areas in our jungle and some National Reserves are use fo tourism as an alternative for the economy of the native communities and to protect the rainforest.





One of the most important National Reserve is Tambopata, located in Madre de Dios Region, close to the border with Brazil and Bolivia. It was created in 1990 and has an  area of 274690 hectares with a huge variaty of vegetation, animals, rivers, lakes and native cammunities.
Tambopata National Reserve has a big biodiversity, more than 700 species of birds, 174 species of mammals, more than 100 species of reptiles.






In Tambopata National Reserve you an see many species of birds like macaws, harpy eagle, hoatzings, tinamous, tucans and parakeets. Mammals like jaguars, capibaras, giant river otter, tapirs, giant ant eater and many species of monkeys. There are about 1000 species of butterflies and a big variety of reptiles like caymans, snakes and anacondas. Tambopata National reserve also has about 20000 species of plants.






There are some indigenous comminities communities like the Ese'Ejas who live in small villages close to the rivers, their main activities are to collect Brasilian nuts, agriculture and extraction of wood, the tourism companies like Jungle Lodges give them jobs in the tourism industry as a new alternative of development.




You can get to Tambopata National Reserve by plane from Cusco or Lima or by road from Cusco. There are many jungle lodges, most of them respect and protect the enviroment. 




















Trek to Palakala Falls, Lima highlands. www.nomadperu.com



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Palakala falls are located on Lima Highlands, a few hours from this city, in Huarochiri province. It’s a 01 day hike and is not hard. You need to take a taxi to Ovalo Santa Anita and then a 01 hour bus journey  to Chosica district, here you can have some breakfast and then take the bus to San Jeronimo town, this bus journey takes 01 more. You can also drive your own car to this town taking the Central Highway. The town is little and has a few restaurants and shops, the entrance fee is only 2 soles. This hike has 5 Km and has a medium level of difficulty, the landscape is beautiful, with mountains, green areas and farms. All the road has signs so you don’t get lost.





It took us 2 hours to get to the falls, located at 2800 meters above sea level, the landscape is nice and is a good place to spent the day. There were not many tourists, just some locals who go for a hike or camping, the road is clean and not very rocky. Take water, sunblock and sunglasses. To go down takes about 1 ½ hours and then you can have some lunch and take the bus back to Chosica and then to Lima. It’s a nice easy hike for people that have some free time in Lima.





















Thursday, 1 November 2012

Cusco and Machu Picchu.


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Cusco.

 Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire and is the most beautiful city in Perú, is one of the main destinations in South America and there are loads of things to do here like trekking, rafting, visit Inca ruins, enjoy the city and visit Machu Picchu. Cusco is located at 3400 masl. and has a population of 360000 people, to visit it you will have to take a flight from Lima or Arequipa. If you are coming from Bolivia or Puno you can take a bus from Puno to Cusco, this takes about 7 hours and the landscape is amazing. There is also a train that goes from Puno to Cusco and viceversa, this takes 10 hours and is more expensive but is an amazing journey.
Cusco was teh capital of the Inca Empire, that starts on the year 1438 until 1532 when the spaniards arrive to Perú and in 1533 to Cusco. The Inca Empire covered almost all South America including Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, the south of Colombia  and the North of Chile and Argentina. The Incas (based in Cusco), at the end of the XII century, conquered the main civilizations in this countries and built the empire.  
Sacsayhuaman ruins, Cusco
 
Streets in Cusco

There are many options to do in Cusco, like visit Sacsayhuaman ruins (close to the city center), you have to pay an entrance fee and you can go walking (45 min.) or by taxi. The Sacred Valley, here you can find Inca ruins like Pisac and Ollantaytambo and the traditional Pisac Market, you need to hire a tour company for this excursion or drive there, you need also to pay an entrance fee, rafting and horse riding are good options as well. There are many tour campanies around the main square that offer city tours and Sacred Valley tours. The city is very beautiful to explore on your own, the architecture, Inca walls everywhere, museums like the Inca Museum, the Inca temple of Coricancha and the Cathedral, on the main square. There are very good restaurants here to try the local food.

Cusco Cathedral

Machu Picchu.            
 Machu Picchu is one of the most amazing destinations in the world, is magic and beautiful, is an important part of the history of this country and one of the most visited places in South America. You can get to Machu Picchu by train from Cusco, is a 4 hour train journey that leaves early in the morning, you can buy the ticket with Peru Rail and buy your ticket to the ruins online. The train goes from Cusco to Aguas Calientes town, upon arrival you can take the bus to the ruins (25 min.) and hire a guide at the gate, you can also stay one night in Aguas Calientes and next day go to the ruins.
Machu Picchu at the end of Inca Trek


Machu Picchu

 There are many trekkings to Machu Picchu, the most popular is the Inca Trek, it takes 4 days and 3 nights to get to the Machu Picchu and is a great experience, on the way you can see different kind of landscapes and wildlife, it´s  a hard trek and you need to book it in advance with tour company. There are another treks like Lares trek (2 nights camping and 1 night in a Aguas Calientes) and Salkantay Trek (5 days / 4 nights). 


Salcantay Trek


  

Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.


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Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.


Arequipa City.
Also called the white city, its located at 2400 mts. over sea level and 17 Km from Misti Volcanoe (5800 mts high), it has a nice architecture and a beautiful city center, the best places to visit here are the Frozen Mummy Juanita (Santuarios Andinos Museum) and the Santa Catalina Convent, both on the center. Another option is to make a trip to Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world (3500mts deep) , and try to spot a Condor, the biggest bird of the andes.








Condor at Colca Canyon

The buildings of the city center are made is the volcanoe ashes, this material is called Sillar, so the color of the old buildings is white. You can walk around the city center as its safe and a good place to spend the afternoon. Another good option is to visit the tipical restaurants and try the local food. 
Arequipa is famous for its volcanoes, the most famous is Misti, with 5822 mts. its  still active.
Other famous volcanoes are Chanchani with 60575 mts, Pichu Picchu with 5664 mts. and Ambato with 6318 mts. high.

Arequipa has some nice traditional restaurants called ¨Picanterias¨, I recommend two of them, Nueva Palomino and La Lucila, you need to take a taxi to this places. About security, Arequipa is a safe place to walk around but be always careful at night and with taxis.



Colca Canyon.

Is the deepest canyon in the world with about 3500 mts. deep, its located next to the Colca Valley, 4 hours far from Arequipa city.
In Colca Canyon you will have the chance to see the Condor, the biggest bird on the Andes, there are also deers, alpacas, llamas, Vicuñas, fox and vizcachas. You need to hire a tour company to visit it.

On the way to Colca Valley you will see some volcanoes and white capped mountians like Ambato where Juanita, the forzen Inca Mommy, was founded in 1995. You can also see Mismi mountain with 5597 mts. this is  where the Amazonas river starts.





The Andean Condor.
The world´s biggest flying bird and a sacred bird for the Inca civilization, its a huge animal with 3 mts. long wing to wing, can weight 12 to 14 Kg and has about 1.3 mts from head to tail. This big bird can fly up to 10000 mts high and lives on the highlands of South America. The Condor only eat death animals that find on the mountains. You can see them on the Colca Canyon and in some other places of the Andes, lives in high dry areas, close to rocks, mountains and cliffs. This is a endangered animal and local people are trying to preserve it. 


Colca Canyon, Arequipa

Puerto Inca.
A few hours from Arequipa is Puerto Inca, a nice beach next to the Inca ruins that were used by the Inca to rest, there is a little hotel with bungaloes here and you can also camp and have a bbq after a swim. You can drive from Ica to Puerto Inca as well.


Monday, 29 October 2012

Ballestas Islands, Nasca Lines and Huacachina Desert.

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Pisco and Ballestas Islands.
  
Ballestas Islands are located at Paracas National Reserve, 260 Km. south of Lima, next to Pisco town. To get here you have to take  the local bus from Lima the excursions starts everyday at 8 am. You can also spend a night in Pisco and do the tour next day. To do the tour to Ballestas Islands you have to hire a local tour operator in Pisco or in El Chaco pier in Paracas,  the tour to Ballestas Islands takes 2 hours in a speedboat and you can see sea lions, penguins and pelicans.  There are not many good hotels in Pisco, the one I recommend is Posada Hispana, is good, safe and has a great restaurant, its just at 2 blocks from the main square. There was an earthquake in this town on 2007 and its not totally rebuilt yet, be careful to walk on your own at night.

Sea Lion at Ballestas Islands

 
Huacachina desert.

The Huacachina Sand dune desert its located 5 south of Lima, next to Ica city, at the Km 303 of Panamericana Highway, it’s a big desert with huge sand dunes.This place is located just 1 hour south of Pisco and Ballestas Island. Huacachina has a little oasis and beautiful huge sand dunes; here you can take a dune buggy excursion and also sand boarding. There are many local tour operators in Huacachina  is an amazing adventure, there are also some hostels and restaurants here, some tour companies can organize a 2 days and 1 night dune buggy excursion with camping in the desert.



Huacachina
Sand Boarding at Huacachina

Nasca. 

Nasca is a little town located 8 hrs. south of Lima, KM 444 or 9 hours north of Arequipa, here you can visit the Nasca Lines, one of the theories is that it  was an astronomical calendar made by the Nasca civilization, it has more  than 30 drawings on the sand, you can olny see this from the air so will have to take the flight.The Nascas were a pre Inca civilization that lived on this desert between 100 - 800 after Crist. 

Pottery, textiles, geoglyphs of Nasca Lines are drawings of animals figures, theory says it was an astronomical calendar made by the Nasca Civilization.
Nasca is a place to stay one night and see the lines, from here you can continue your trip to Arequipa or to the north and visit Ica and Lima.



Nasca Lines, the hummingbird

Lima.


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Lima.

Lima is the capital city of Perú, its located on the coast,  next to the Pacific Ocean and about 10 million people, it was founded on January 18th of 1535 by the spaniards. Before the spaniards arrive there were some old civilizations here, now you can see their temples called Huacas around the city.



Lima its a modern city, where you can find everything you need, it has old churches, good restaurants and some museums about peruvian history. Lima its also a good place for surfing and is the place to start your trip around Perú. From Lima you can take domestic and international flights as here is the only international airport in Perú.





The historical center is a nice place to see, it has old buildings from the spaniards time and the begining of the republic. There are some interesting places to see as the Main Square, the Cathedral, the Government and the change of guard, every day at midday. Other places to visit are San Martín main square and San Francisco Church and its catcombs. There really good museums around Lima like Archaeologic Museum Larco Herrera, Gold Museum and the Lima Art Museum. In Lima you must try the local food, like Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, Anticuchos and also Pisco Sour, our local main drink. There are great restaurants of typical food, most of them in Miraflores, a very populat district. 


Lima is located at 500 meters above sea level , doesnt rain too much and the weahter is hot between december and April and cold and humid the rest of the year. During summer you can visit the beaches close to the city like Punta Hermosa, San Bartolo and El Silencio, this beaches are at 40 minutes south of Lima going through the Panamaricana Highway. You can get there by bus. 


One of the nicest areas of Lima is Miraflores, this is a modern district next to the ocean,, here you can find good restaurants, bars, nightclubs and hotels. Is where all the tourists stay and a good place to go out. A nice place is Larcomar, a shopping mall in front of the ocean, good for a good dinner.







Sunday, 14 October 2012

Trek to Markahuasi, Lima, Perú.


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A trek to Lima Highlands, 4000 mts above sea level, cold weather, good friends and the best landscape ever. 



View from the cliffs



We started this trip in Lima, with a couple of friends, we departed at 07.30 am from this city and drove for 01 hour to the east, at 08.30 we stopped in a town called Chosica to buy something to eat and then we continued in direction to Santa Eulalia town, the road was not the best, just a dirty and dusty road but  there were signs that we can follow, at about 10.00 am we got to Huinco town and took the road that goes up and kept driving, after a 30 minutes we got to 2 roads, one up and other to the right, we found a local old guy who told us to take the right and also asked for a lift, why not, its always nice to help somebody on the road!. After 30 minutes more we had to turn right after a sign to get to the town we were looking for, San Pedro de Casta.



San Pedro de Casta town
We got to San Pedro de Casta town around 11.30 and found something to eat, there are a few restaurants there, then we went to the tourist office, pay the 5 soles fee and hired a couple of donkeys to carry the equipment like tents, sleeping bags, wood, food etc. We left the car in front the City Hall and started the walk.



The walk wasnt difficult, steep at the begining then wasnt that bad, only 4 Km trek. We start trekking at 12.30 and took us about 2 1/2 hours to get to Markahuasi, the trail has signs to let you know where to go and its very easy, there are 2 roads, long and short, we took the longer one because its less steep and goes straight to the Anfiteatro, a place sorrounded with rock formations where everybody camp. The shorter road is steeper and take you to the Monumento a la Humanidad, a big rock formation that look like human faces. 



Markahuasi, far away




Our campsite
We got to the top at 15.00 hrs, Marcahuasi is located at 4000 mts. above sea level, it has rock formations and cliffs with amazing views, the afternoon and sunset were amazing from the cliffs, there were huge rocks there were you can walk, take a look and a few pictures!.













We got back to the campsite after 18.00 hrs and the weather started to be cold, so we made a fire and ate something. There were about 30 tents there and people were starting to eat and have a drinks. 



At night We had some food and wine, check our pictures and talked for a bit, was good fun, some locals set fire works and got drunk, but the night was cold, then we went to sleep after a had some more wine.

Munumento a la Humanidad
We woke up about 07.00 am,  had some breakfast and packed our stuff, we went for a walk to see the rock formations, then, at 09.30 , decided to walk with all the stuff to a rock formation called Monumento a la Humanidad and then took the short trail back to San Pedro de Casta. Took us about 1 1/2 hours to get to San Pedro, had some coffee and drive back to Lima, was a great adventure, very close to Lima, walking through our amazing highlands and watching the best landscapes.  

Some recomendations to plan this trip: You can drive to San Pedro de Casta, starting in Lima and going to the east throught Central Highway until get to Chosica, Santa Eulalia, Huinco and then to San Pedro, takes about 4 hours.
You can also take a bus to Chosica from Lima and then the local bus to San Pedro, the bus departs at 09.00 am and 11.00 am, be ther early.

You can have lunch at San Pedro de Casta and buy food, hire a donkey to carry your stuff up the mountain, buy food, water etc. You have to pay 5 soles at the tourism office, they will give you a map. You can carry your stuff on the way down, sometimes people offer donkeys to hire. There are not shops up there and there is 1 toilet but not the best.  

Take a good tent, could rain between November and April, sunblock, water, some food, toilet paper, torch, a good sleeping bag, warm clothes, hat, gloves, its very cold at night!. No Wi Fi.


Tuesday, 4 September 2012

The North of Perú.

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The Coast, the Moche Civilization, Huaraz and Lima.
 There are many good alternatives to explore the Peruvian coast, from the border with Ecuador (Aguas Verdes) you can take a shared taxi to Tumbes, the next city, located at Km. 1267, from Tumbes you can take a bus, a van or a shared taxi ¨colectivo¨ to the many Peruvian of the northern Peruvian coast.


Máncora, Perú

There are many beautiful beaches here, from Tumbes you can continue travelling and visit Zorritos beach, Km. 1250, if you like fishing Caleta Grau is a good option and is near Zorritos. A good alternative to spend a few days is Punta Sal beach, 80 Km. south of Tumbes. A beautiful beach with many hotels and restaurants around, you can also camp if you want to. From Punta Sal you can continue (by taxi or your car) half an hour to the south to Máncora, one of the most beautiful Peruvian beaches.   
 Máncora.
Mancora
 Máncora is one of the most famous beaches in Peru and the Pacific coast, is an excellent surfing spot, loads of surfers and travelers come to this beach from all around the world to surf and have a great time. In Máncora you can find many hostels, bars, hotels and great restaurants, this beach is located at 2 ½ hours from the border with Ecuador and you can get there by shared taxi, shared Van or by bus. You can also get here from Tumbes city.



Surfing championship at Lobitos beach
Peruvian food its famous and delicious, there are many good restaurants in Mancora like El Tuno (fresh tuna, try Tuno Salteado), they also have good pastas, if you are a steak lover I will recommend The Steak House, both places located on the main highway, Panamericana. For sea food you must go to Las Gemelitas, located a few blocks from town, just take a moto taxi, the main local transport. There are many things to do in Mancora like surf or take surfing lessons, horse riding or just relax. There many hotels in Mancora, I recommend Las Olas, if you want to chill out and want a nice hotel in front of the beach. If you want more party and meet lot of travellers there are many hostels like Loki del Mar.   
Steak House, Máncora
 There are another beaches close to Máncora, like Vichayito, if you want to chill out, Organos is a good beach for surfing, it is just 20 min. from Máncora and you can take a taxi and ask the driver to pick you up later. Another very good place for surfing is Lobitos, to get there you will need to take your own car or take a taxi or bus to Talara city and then a bus to Lobitos as is far but the waves are great, there are some hostels for surfers on this beach.


From Mancora you can go straight to Lima (18 hrs.),  a good bus company is CIAL, you can also continue your trip to the south, taking the El Dorado bus to Piura (departs at 9 am and takes 3 hours) and then the El Dorado bus to Chiclayo that departs at 13.00 from Piura, book both buses in Mancora. In Chiclayo you can visit the Tumbas Reales Museum, the best one in Perú, here is the tomb of Lord of Sipan, from Moche pre-Inca civilization, one of the main archaeological discoveries in Perú. You can also visit the Chaparri Private Reserve and see the wildlife there. This is out of town and you must make a reservation.
 To continue your trip you can take the bus to Trujillo, there are direct buses from Mancora (9 hrs.) , Piura (6 hrs.) and from Chiclayo (3 hrs.). Trujillo is one of the main cities on Perú, close to Trujillo (15 min. by taxi) is Huanchaco beach, Chan Chan ruins and the Moon and Sun temples.
 If you are coming from Lima, you can take a direct bus to Máncora, CIAL company has the best buses, the journey takes 16 hrs. approx, There are also buses from Trujillo and Chiclayo, but you have to get off in Piura and take a shared taxi to Mancora, this takes about 2 hours, is safer if you go with somebody else.
Huanchaco.
Moon Temple
 Trujillo its one of the main cities in Perú, with a population of 1 million people. At just 15 minutes from Trujillo is Huanchaco beach, a fishing town where you can also do surf and enjoy Peruvian sea food. Close to Huanchaco are the Chan Chan ruins (from Chimu pre Inca civilization), to get here you can take the local bus or a taxi, is just 5 minutes from Huanchaco, the entrance fee is 11.5 soles and you can get a tourist guide at the gate. Half an hour from Chan Chan are the Sun and Moon Temples, you will need to take a taxi to get here and the entrance fee is 11.5 soles. There is also a good museum next to the temples that were built by the pre- Inca Mochica civilization. A good option is to take a tour that includes Chan Chan and the Moon and Sun temples, you can arrange this with the hotel in Huanchaco, a good guide is Maritza Cabanillas, she can arrange the transport, tour and entrances fee, the hotel can help you to contact her. About hotels I recommend Hostal Naylamp, and HostalHuanchaco,both close to the beach and with nice rooms, they can also help you to book your tours. A good place to eat is restaurant My Friends, is cheap and good, close to the town center great Peruvian food and nice atmosphere.  There are many good options to continue your trip, there are buses to Lima ( 9hrs.) from Trujillo, I always take Transportes Linea.


Reed boats at Huanchaco
Huaraz.
  To continue your trip you can  take  a bus to Huaraz (3100 masl), an adventure sports place like trekking an rafting. There are many good treks, with all levels of difficulty. You can stay at Jo´s Place, they have dorms and private rooms and they can help you to arrange your excursions as they work with a tour operator, a good option is Lake 69, a good one day trek that goes through Huascarán National Park where the Huascaran mountain is located, the highest in Perú with 6768 meters high. Is a middle level trek that ends in Lake 69 and you can also see Llanganuco lake. Huaraz is a town located between the white and black mountain range and is a great place for trekking.  
From Huaraz you can take a bus to Lima, is about 8 hours journey, you can take Movil tours bus or Cruz del Sur, this bus companies also goes from Lima to Huaraz every day.
Trek to Lake 69
Lake 69, Huaraz

Lima.
Miraflores, Lima

Lima city center
  Lima is the capital of Perú with a population of 9 million, there are many good places to stay in Miraflores and Barranco districts, here you can find good places to go out, visit, eat and are also close to the beach. From Lima you can start your trip around Perú or fly somewhere else from Jorge Chavez international airport. Lima is a big city and you have to be careful on the streets and with the taxis. There are many places to visit in Lima like museums, bars, beaches, restaurants, is good to stay here for a couple of days and then continue your trip around the country. Some good museums here are Museo de oro and Museo Larco, both about history. The city center is also nice to visit and watch the change of guard (midday), the main square is called Plaza Mayor, there are a few good restaurants near like Tanta, just next to Plaza Mayor. There are many places to go, most of the bars and pubs are in Barranco (Ayahuasca is a good bar here) and Miraflores (go to Larco mar ). Another good sites to visit are Pachacamac pre inca temple (30 min. from Lima) and Huaca Pucllana, a temple located in Miraflores.