I have been really grateful about the move we have made to Peru. I really have loved living in Lima, and the drastic change in cultural experiences. I have loved the food that I have been able to enjoy since I have moved here. I have loved the dog-friendly environment that has allowed my dog to transition into this new lifestyle. I have not loved the long schedules in-between breaks that have pushed me and my students to really struggle towards the end of the long stretches. I have not loved the few opportunities to go out and see more of the country. So when I have an opportunity to get out there and see more of it, I have taken that chance.
It has only been my second trip out of Lima out of the five months I have lived here, and this time, it was only for the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. No, Peru does not celebrate this very American holiday, but when you work at an American school, they observe this holiday. The nice thing about this is that many of the places out there do not have that many guests staying at it because it is right before the big tourist season, and most of the people who live in the country have to work on Thursday and Friday. This means that we get to have a relatively quiet getaway in what would be an otherwise crowded location of Peru.
We hired a driver to take us south of Lima to the city of Ica where the desert of the country meets the more fertile land of the Andes mountains. It is the perfect climate to grow grapes, so it is here where the wine country of Peru resides, and there is a winery where you can rent a room on their grounds. They do have a big hotel with many things to do to keep me occupied during this long weekend, but the main thing I am going to do is relax and enjoy the holiday.
It will not be like a traditional Thanksgiving that I would find back in the States, but I think it will do. As of right now, there are not many plans of leaving the grounds until I have to head back to Lima on Sunday, but I will still explore all the little nooks and crannies of this location to get you a lowdown on what this place as to offer while I am here. Please join me in the next couple of days while I explain what this little paradise on the foot of the Andes has to offer.
You have traveled halfway around the globe To remove us from living in our homes. You sit on your horses in purple robes, And talk of your proud cities filled with domes, Claiming that you’re the superior race Because you have mastered a curved ceiling. You remind us that we should know our place, And give to support your profiteering. You point your greedy hands to our mountains, Expecting to find lost cities of gold. We have told you we’ve never seen such wins, And you reply that our lies are so bold. It’s better to point you to this fiction To leave alone our old habitation.
No riots are happening in the streets, And the world is not coming to an end. All the land’s politicians are cheats, And not one of them wants to be your friend. They will tell you about the other side, How their policy is the better choice, But when their ideology has dies, You will realize they’ve silenced your voice. So they can change things in their own favor, They only need you to push a button To reinforce their awful behavior, Claiming that they are the revolution. The solution does not lie in their laws; They are not the cure, no they are the cause.
Should I regret the last meal I have here Because it marks the end of vacation. I will have to pack away all the cheer, And the enjoyment of relaxation, But I get to have a final moment Where I can raise up my golden chalice, Toasting to this meal in this restaurant Off from Responsibility’s malice. I will push away thoughts of tomorrow For there is nothing I can do about it; Instead, I will uncrease my furrowed brow, And empty the pain from my stomach’s pit. For I still have this short amount of time, And my goal will be to make it sublime.
The water of the river rushes by, And I sip off a frosty pisco sour, Hearing the day telling me to comply By not paying attention to the hour. It is easy to do because I sit In the warming comfort of the hot spring, Taking away the way my muscles knit Themselves into a tight stressful feeling. But here I am safe within this valley, Isolated from the problems outside, A place where I am able to just be And where I wish I could always reside. I will place that idea behind me, And just enjoy the moment to be free.
On top of the world where the air is thin, Life finds a way to struggle and blossom. After hundreds of years trying to win, It will take over pace when given some, Crawling through the rocks a millimeter A time, even though it may take a yea For it and that long distance to occur. Yet life cannot live an era of fear If it wishes to not only survive, But to show to those that it fights against, That its truthful intentions are to thrive With all of its payments fully expensed. Life is always willing to find a way As it fights for it on everyday.
There is no reason for us to quicken Up the pace of the day we are living For there is nothing that can be taken When the moment is all about giving. We’ve found ourselves in the heart of old town With windy paths waiting to be explored. If the choice is bad, we can go back down To find one our memories will adore. There are rest’rants with food to be eaten, And mementoes chirping from the store fronts. Though the many streets have been well beaten, It feels like we’re the only one who hunts. This day and this city belongs to us, And where it takes us, I will put my trust.
I moved to Lima three months ago, and I have been able to enjoy it quite a bit, but it was time for me to get away from the gloomy skies of the city and see what the mountains just outside of town had to offer. It was Spring Break, so I packed my bags and headed to the second biggest city in Peru, Arequipa. It was not only quite the change in landscape, but also a change in attitude as well. Both places are big tourist destinations, but for different reasons, and it was fun being a tourist in the Andes Mountains rather than living a day to day existence off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It made me excited for all I was going to see as I learned to live and explore this part of the world.
First of all, Peru is the story of the clash of two long-standing cultures, the Spanish colonialists that sailed over the sea in search of new lands and riches, and the Inca culture at the height of its power as it spread its influence over much of the western part of South America, specifically in the mountainous regions of the Andes. Despite the fact that these conflicts happened centuries ago, the influences of both cultures are present all over this part of Peru.
The ruins of the old civilizations can be found in the mountains still well preserved though nobody has lived in them for a long time. It takes a bit of a hike to get to them, but once there they are worth the visit. You can see the old roads that used to take people from one place to another combined by the stone construction of their homes, walls, and aqueducts. Some of the sights even predate the Inca culture, such as this abandoned town near Yanque which was once the Oyu Oyu village before conquistadors from Toledo came and removed the people to move them over to the now present town of Yanque.
If the small towns and ruins of the Andes are not enough, there are always the bigs city lights of Arequipa that is just over the ridge of the Andes Mountains. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru, and has about 1 million citizens living there. Though it is a ways off the Pacific coast, it was one of the first place that the Spanish settled when they first arrive, and there influence is all over the older part of the city. You can see it in the plaza in the middle of the city to the large cathedral that looms over that square. The cobblestone streets do allow traffic to drive through them, but at the same time it feels completely walkable as you look at various alpaca shops, restaurants, and souvenir places selling cheese ice-cream. It is not just the language of Peru that was influenced by the Spanish, but there whole towns as well.
Still, it is a blending of both the original culture and the Spanish colonialism that gives Peru its charm. The dresses and dances might remind you of flamenco dancing in Seville, but upon closer inspection the dresses have intricate designs that take from the fauna and boldness of the mountain setting that inspired them. The dance comes with a determination and confidence that could only be found among a group of people who conquered these vast wilderness, and do not necessarily have the grace associated with the dances from Spain. It is its own unique thing, and it is wonderful to watch wherever it might spring up.
The blending of cultures to make a new and unique thing is the basis of much of Peruvian culture, especially their food. I am surprised about the amount of people that know so little about Peruvian food, and in many places in the world, it is almost impossible to find at all. Despite its absence on the world stage, it is one of the best cuisines I have ever experienced. From ceviche to lomo saltado, all of the dish are a culinary delight, and if you are in the mood to try something from one of your favorites, they will put their own spin on it to create something even better than the original. I went to a Thai-Peruvian fusion restaurant in Arequipa called Kao that was a traditional Peru dish, tacu-tacu, with Thai flavors that blended so well together I will never forget the dish.
Peru is the land of numerous surprises and I have only started to explore it. I have been in the big city on the coast and a small section of its mountains. I still have to explore its jungles and river area, and I am sure there are other surprises I am not even aware of yet. Still, I got to roam the majestic mountains of Peru and have been higher above sea level than I have ever been in my life. I have enjoyed the hot springs brought on by the rising steam of active volcanoes. I have gotten to see the graceful flight of the condor, the second largest bird in the world.
I have enjoyed my small exploration of this country so far, and I cannot wait to see what else it, and the rest of this region of the world has to offer. I hope you join me in my journey, and hopefully, I can inspire you enough to make it down here yourself. You will be fascinated with what it has to offer.
Until next time, keep exploring the world and see how we all come together to create something new.
When you live in a valley in the mountains of the Andes, there are going to be times when you come across some volcanic activity. When you come across volcanic activity, there are going to be springs that are naturally warmed by the volcanic activity. When you have these hot springs, hotels are going to pop up that will take advantage of this fact to make hot water pools that allow you to soak in them while enjoying the natural surroundings of the environment. This was the place that I ended up at during my recent travels through Peru, and it was not only an immaculate setting, but a great experience as well.
The Colca Lodge sits a twenty-minute drive outside the small town of Yanque in the Colca Canyon region, and its main attraction are the natural hot springs that are found there. But there is so much more to this lodge than just the nice warm pools that are in the area where you can relax after a long day of exploring the high Andes mountains. There is a spa, a nice big pit for late-night campfires, and of course, what every high Andes complex needs, an alpaca farm.
Don’t worry, they have llamas too. Basically, you are given free reign to walk around the grounds and check out these animals as they run, play, and graze. It is also connected to a small museum that talks about the history of these animals in the region as well as the other major draw out to Colca Canyon, the condor. It is a nice way to spend an hour or two, and the animals are completely friendly, even though I never got close enough to one to pet it.
There is really only one place to eat at the Colca Lodge, but they do have enough variety that you will never get bored with the food. The kitchen staff is also well-versed in bringing together many dishes, mainly from Peru, but you can also find some great dishes from Italy, Mexico, and bar fare. They also have a full bar with a great selection of wine, and beer from the region.
Each room has an outdoor entrance that has a small patio that is perfect for sitting out on most of the time. There was a moment when things got a little too hot in the morning, but then the shade took over and it was nice to sit out there and enjoy the scenery. It was the perfect place to sit back to read a book or play a card game, and made the lodge a very comfortable place to stay at.
There are many exciting things to do and see in the area as well. There are some hikes close by that can take you to waterfalls, up ancient terraces where people still farm today, and even the Oyu Oyu ruins. If that is not your cup of tea, a longer drive will take you out to Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world and the sight where many condors can be spotted hunting for carrion. It makes this spot the perfect location for a break from the day to day monotony. I enjoyed a three night stay there and am already thinking about when I could go back and enjoy it again.
Until next time, try to find those special places in your part of the world that allow for relaxation and little bit of culture at the same time.
In my move to Peru, I did not expect to see the same kind of things I have seen while traveling around the world. I knew that there would be many new and exciting things that I would get to experience while roaming around the sixth continent I have been to, and it was during this Spring Break that I really got to go out and see them. Of course, the first thing I had to put on the list was an alpaca, either that or a llama. I wouldn’t really be in Peru if I had never come across one of these.
And of course, I came along a lot of them. This is nothing unusual for me because there were many a farm in both Oregon and Colorado where I got to see them running around, but the amount of them is greatly increased in Peru. There are many different kinds of them as well from domesticated ones to ones out in the wild roaming free.
No matter which ones I came across, they were pretty tame, and the domesticated ones will even allow you to come up to them and pet them. There is always the chance that you will anger one of them and they will spit at you, but then again, you can say that about any other domesticated animal.
The biggest difference is the landscape that comes with animals. It is high dessert, and once again, both Oregon and Colorado boast that they are also the same kind of environment. However, there is a lot more sand in the high desert locations of Peru, and it is feels a little more desolate. This might be because the Andes are much higher than anything that can be found in North America. I went on a long road trip from Arequipa to Colca Canyon, and the highest point I reached was well over 16,000 feet and there were still mountains and volcanoes around us that reached even higher. I had to keep an active eye on some of the volcanoes because there were times when smoke would billow out of the top of them because they are still active though none are threatening to explode anytime soon.
All of this comes in a land steeped in history and tradition. In the mountains, I could imagine the people traveling across the vast plains to get from one location to another while carrying all of their good on llamas or alpacas. They would arrive in places in time for the market, and to join in the celebrations that take place annually. These celebrations still take place today. I stumbled upon one of these in my travels as I could to see a whole parade of people preparing to show off the local traditional dance, and it wasn’t just the older generation that did this. There were dancers from the age of five all the way up to the mid-fifties, and each one of them impressed me with their ability to dance.
This is not to say that new traditions are not being formed as well. Peru has built a craft beer scene that could rival any other country. It is seen wherever you travel to as there are a variety of beers and ciders to experience. They are also very proud of the beers that they have crafted as they should because they are great. It is a great way to enjoy an evening after one has wandered around to see all the crazy things that this country has to offer.
It just means that each night I get to crawl into bed to dream about what new and exciting things I will get to see tomorrow. It has been fun moving to this part of the world, and I cannot wait to see what else it has to offer. I have only scratched the surface so far, so I hope you join me over the next couple of years as I explore it further.
Thanks for reading, and until next time, get out there and see what your part of the world has to offer.
John Collings 