Puno and the Fiesta de la Candelaria
Traveling over the Altiplano, it was it was 10PM before we arrived in Puno. The city is is moderately sized, and spreads out over several hills on one side of Lake Titicaca. At 3855M, more than 12,500 feet, it is easy to get out of breath just walking around. It feels very much like a working class city despite the presence of many tourists. In this respect, it is quite different than Cuzco. En Route We had timed our visit perfectly, as we there at the time of the Fiesta de la Virgen de la

Colca Canyon
After a week in Arequipa our younger daughter Mia, age 23, arrived with her boyfriend. In a few days, we left for Colca Canyon, said to be twice as deep as Grand Canyon. It is dotted with Indian villages on both sides and high snowed capped volcanos such as Ampato, 6288M. The bus ride took us through a vicuna reserve, high on the empty Altiplano. We could see a number of these animals which resembled small llamas as we drove past. On the way to Chivay, 3600M, we had to go over a high snow covered pass. Near the top,

Lima to Arequipa
As we approached Lima, the shanty towns seemed to stretch on for miles down the dry and dusty hills near the coast. The last time we had been here, some 27 years earlier, it certainly had its share of cardboard slums. At that time, a large part of the middle class had been decimated by the collapse of the economy. Inflation was rampant and the Peruvian currency was being devalued on a daily basis. The Shining Path was just getting started. There was a general railroad strike going on, and the only train that was still being operated, between Cuzco and Machu Pichu, was run by the army. Badly run I might add. What would normally have been a th

Huaraz
We bid an emotional farewell to our Quechua maid and caretaker, who seemed crestfallen that we were leaving so soon. After eating a huge breakfast, our second in as many days, at the misnamed El Turista, since it was full of locals, we crammed into the collectivo that took us to Huaraz. We were given the best seats in the small combi, right up front, but that didn't prevent 15 people from squeezing in. The ride took about 1@1/2 hours through the valley, and would have been shorter were it not for the constant stops that were made to drop-off and pick up other passengers en route. Huaraz, a bustling city of 100,000, is the capital of

Caraz and the High Cordellera
Our next destination in the high Andes began, as usual, with a lengthy bus ride. Opting for the more scenic route,(and yes it was longer), we went first to Chimbote, guano capital of the world. Here we caught the misnamed Yungay Express, which looked as though it would be lucky to break 40 MPH. Our route took us through the Canon del Pato, and a narrow, mostly dirt track winding along the river, and then up through the slot canyon. We had to pass through some 30 tunnels that were blasted through the rocky and dry mountains. The steep