PERU

Location - South America; Capital - Lima; Population - 28 million; Currency - Nuevo Sol

It's a short journey from the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca to Peru's, where I arrived at Puno in February 1998.

Peruvian currency - the Nuevo Sol

The Floating Islands of the Uros people, Lake Titicaca

Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca - they are made from interwoven totora reeds. A very touristy place but enjoyable nonetheless

Lake Titicaca from Puno

Another fiesta at Lake Titicaca - this time the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria, Puno

A military parade at Plaza de Armas, Cuzco

View of Cuzco city centre (altitude - 3330 metres)

The 15th/16th century Inca ruins of Machu Picchu

Temple of the Sun, Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu's sundial

The Sacred Rock, Machu Picchu

A cloud covered Machu Picchu, altitude 2,430 metres

Warming up at Aguas Calientes hot springs

The train back to Cuzco broke down, resulting in hundreds walking by moonlight through the countryside in search of a truck to take us back.
The scariest bit was crossing a bridge only covered in train sleepers with a raging river below.
This was taken a few metres after the bridge, with a celebratory corn-on-the-cob

Washing bowls at the Santa Catalina monastery, Arequipa

In the lovely grounds of the Santa Catalina monastery, Arequipa

Advert for the luminous, sickly sweet Peruvian drink - Inka Cola, Nazca. I had loads of it

2000-year-old mummified bodies at Chauchilla cemetery, Nazca

Ready for a stomach churning flight over the famous Nazca Lines with Wendy, Agnes and Louise

A tall narrow triangular 'trapezoid' at Nazca Lines. The Lines date from 300 BC to 700 AD

The Condor at Nazca Lines has a 130 metre wingspan

The Astronaut seems the odd one out, as if made by drunks on a big night out.

See his right hand waving - Nazca Lines

Pisco town centre

The Government Palace, Lima

Statue of Pizarro at the Plaza de Armas, Lima

At an altitude of 3850 metres, Lake Llanganuco, close to Huaraz - hear the crashing of ice down Mt Huascaran from here

Mt Huascaran - 6768 metres high, on the minibus from Huaraz to Yungay

The centre of Huaraz

This is where I saw the effects of the 1997/98 El Nino for the first time - landslides on the way from Huaraz to Chimbote

Water flooded down the mountains, creating a makeshift river. Into the darkness, hours were spent damming up the river so that the bus could get through. It lurched, leaned and crunched its way through. Huaraz to Chimbote

Northern Peru was affected by El Nino, but I managed to get to Trujillo. This is Plazuela el Recreo

The bus from Trujillo to Piura drove through sugar cane fields as much of the Pan Americana highway had disappeared. No way past here though! A few hours earlier a bridge near Chiclayo collapsed. I joined a chaotic queue for a helicopter that was taking people from one side to the other, but at one point it just didn't come back. Ah well,back to Lima. So close yet so far..

So here I am with Shirley, from Lima, waiting for a flight from Lima to Piura

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LINKS

www.visitperu.com - Peru tourist board

www.andeantravelweb.com/peru

www.peru.info

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.