New designs of Peruvian bank notes have hit the streets, we enclose the new and the old so that when you have them both in your hands, dont panic, they are both legal tender. Here we are showing the 10 and 20 sol notes, new version above the old one.
The market at Pisaq is a popular stop on a Peru tour package. The market is not just about handicrafts but as you can see in the video many country people come in to the town to sell their goods to each other.
This recent article from the BBC sums up why we tell our clients to purchase travel insurance, take a read before you travel with us or anyone else.
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110718-is-travel-insurance-right-for-you/1
Videos from the Paucartambo festival this weekend, Gary, Malka, Seppe and Robert went to visit, and Saby from operations was actually dancing;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
We arrived late in the afternoon at the village of San Pablo to visit the Museo Maria Reiche. This is the former home, research base and now resting place of the German born Dr. Maria Reiche, Phd, who devoted her whole life to studying the Nasca Lines and fighting to get them protected and preserved for all time.
It is a fascinating place with copies of her original notes and diagrams on display, along with photos and graphs explaining how the Nasca constructed an underground irrigation system that fed a series of deep well water channels in the area.
The Museum was added onto her original one room house, which still contains the original furniture she used. If you look inside, it has been set up to show her (a sculptured manikin of her), sitting at her typewriter desk working, with all her sketchs and survey drawings (copies of the originals now stored in the Peruvian National Archives) hanging from the wall.
On the east side is a new gallery with Nasca Pottery and aerial photographs of the Nasca Lines. In the garden at east end is the tomb where she was laid to rest after she passed away.
Her work was instrumental in getting the Nasca Lines recognised as a World Heritage Site.
From here it was a short drive up out of the valley this small museum and town was in, out onto the broad flat Nasca Plains. Here we stopped at a viewing tower set up to allow people to look down on the Nasca Hands and the Nasca Bush.
This is one of the driest places on the Earth. It has not rained on these plains for centuries, which is why the Nasca Lines have lasted such a long time. Recently there was an unseasonal heavy rain storm in the hills to the east. The flash flood that resulted from this deluge did do some damage, which the aerial photos I took next morning will show.
We then proceeded south east to the City of Nasca, arriving just after sunset. Our hotel here was a Casa Andrea, quite lovely and comfortable.
After checking in we went out to a local restaurant for supper before turning in for the night.
Good night to all from Nasca, Peru
Read more about the mysterious Nazca Lines here http://www.escapedtonazcalinestours.com/
Robert from the Cusco sales team recently went to see the unique annual Inca rope bridge construction near Cusco and shares his experiences and photos with you. Check out the link below:
http://www.escapedtoperu.com/english/qeswachaka-inca-rope-bridge.html
Blog post by Gary
My wife Malka and I have recently returned from a trip to the Colca Canyon area of Peru and I felt like sharing some of our experiences and knowledge of this lovely area with you all.
Colca Canyon is the second deepest canyon in the world and is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US. The deepest canyon is said to be the Cotahuasi which is actually next door to Colca! The main attraction for our clients visiting this area is the ease with which they can see the largest land-living bird, the Andean Condor. Each morning during the dry season the Condor Cross viewpoint is visited by hundreds of tourists eager to see the spectacle of often half-a-dozen or more condors swooping on morning thermals.
I personally have been very lucky in that many times I have seen more than 10 of these majestic birds flying around, but be aware that at other times you may only see a couple of them, you cant get nature to order of course but this place is the most accessible point in Peru to view the birds.
Malka and I were taking it easy while we were there and I had a break from the office but we did re-visit and stay at some of the hotels we use for our clients, not just as somewhere to stay but also to re-check the standards and services of each hotel. For value for money our favorite is the Colca Lodge. The awkward transfer to this hotel is more than made up for by the comfortable rooms, great spa and the best feature, their own hot springs right in the hotel grounds. It is a real pleasure to wander down to the pools in the cold evening air in your fluffy robe and slippers, immerse yourself in the soothing hot water with spectacular views of the valley and stars, and enjoy a cocktail before dinner. A great experience which we recommend to all our clients.
For those looking for luxury however the Casitas de Colca is a superb, high-end pampering experience. This Orient Express property is simply sublime with guest having their own houses to stay in, each one with a sumptuous level of comfort and facilities. If you want to splurge on luxury this is the place, have a look at my video of the room we were in with its own private outdoor hot pool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcRX6S_VDvQ
The little villages in the Colca valley are fascinating too, many still cling to age-old traditions and the rivalry between the two sides of the valley and canyon are still evident in the hats that the women wear. The two cultures, the Collaguas and the Cabanas, have different styles of hats, one being more of a cap style and the other with a wider round brim. The women always wear them, and not just for the tourists. As you walk arounf the villages you will see what rural people have done for hundreds of years, in many areas of the Colca valley life continues in much the same way as it always has.
This is a beauftiful place that the majority of visitors to Peru dont get chance to see, if you have the time in your itinerary i highly recommend it and as you can see, its not all about the condors!
