Peru 2008

Our host, Aldo Alverez, brought us to his home. Here are his nephews.

Aldo Alvarez

At breakfast, there was always smoked salmon. Judy thinks this is the height of luxury. There were also strange fruit that Judy had never seen before -- the white fruit on the top of the plate is called "Chirimoya". It has gigantic black seeds that look like eyes. The green fruit is called "Tuna". It is the fruit of the pricly pear cactus.

This is a view from the shopping center just by the hotel -- the Marriot in Miraflores. June is winter in Lima. It was foggy every day.

This shopping center is called, Larcomar.

One afternoon, Judy went walking downtown. There was a monastery nearby (San Francisco) with catacombs underneath.

It was such an interesting structure -- with pidgeons all over the walls.

In the Plaza de Armas, the guards were coming out to play music at the President's house.

When the guards march and play, everyone has to go across the street to view them.

The Plaza de Armas is a huge area, surrounded by the President's house as well as the Mayor's office and a cathedral.

This is a bronze fountain in the center of the plaza. It was erected in 1650.

Here is the cathedral at the Plaza de Armas. It was rebuilt after a major earthquake in 1746. Aldo told us that couples will go and sit on the steps to declare their love for each other for the first time. Since he is single, I asked him if he's ever sat on the steps!

Near the plaza was a market. I walked through and immediately found this area selling offal. Menudencia = entrails. I didn't take a photo of the goods, but I took this photo of the sign. Mondongo = stomach; bofe = lung; corazon = heart; higado = liver;   rinon = kidney; cola = tail; bazo = spleen; cabeza = head; lengua = tongue; pata = leg; tripa = gut; seso = brain.

There were fruits and veggies that we don't have in the states. They have this purple corn. In Peru, they make a drink out of it called "Chicha morada". It is sweet and unfermented, although I think there is also a fermented drink made from this maize morada.

This was white corn with huge kernals.

This was my room in Cusco. Cusco is very high (11,000 ft). We were initially booked into this hostel. We left Lima very early, so I took a nap. It was cold there (30 F), and there was NO HEAT in my room.

This was the shower.

Not all toilets had toilet seats in Peru. But my room at the hostel had one.

This is the Plaza Mayor in Cusco. I took a cab there because it was so difficult to walk around at that elevation. I think it cost me about 50 cents.

This was a fountain in some other park. I was walking around looking for a yarn store nearby.

Before we left Cusco, we had a chance to go to Machu Picchu. We took a train for several hours to the town below Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes. From there, we take a bus up the winding mountain road to the entrance of Machu Picchu.

The road winds back and forth up the mountain. It's not so bad if you don't look down.

Except sometimes, you just have to look down.

Isn't this amazing? Just like the postcards! This is one of the first views you get when you enter the park. We had an English speaking guide who was part mountain goat, I think. He was never out of breath! Machu Picchu is only at 8000 ft, so it is not hard to breathe at all.

It was early in the morning. We had to get up in the middle of the night in Cusco to arrive so early. But it was well worth it.

This is back at the plaza in Cusco. We were headed out for the airport to go back to Lima to fly home. The blonde head is Marival.