Rogger is our Gate 1 Guide and Jose… the guide for Lima

We will be seeing the before, during and after arrival of the Spanish

Pizarro came in 1532. They were here for 300 yrs until 1821.

5000 yrs of civilization pre Spanish.

Miraflores is high rent area.

The “Lima” people built pyramids …

20 pyramids at Pachacamac

First …. stop is San Francisco Monestery.

There are 90 universities in Lima. In San Isidro, near one we drive by, the houses are worth 3+ million$$$… diplomats mostly cuz no one can afford on $7000/ year the average income in Lima (outside Lima income is less).

There are no gutters in the streets, flat roofs. 1976 was last time they had a thunderstorm here.

43 districts so 43 mayors… so separate police. And we thought it bad in Victoria!!!

$13 million for water complex and laser light show that is the largest in world.

Lima was capital of all of Spanish South America…13 countries…. only Brazil was not under Spanish rule.

Independence Square (Mayor)… meeting place whenever demonstrations are held. While there around the corner, there was aa lot of yelling going on. They were protesting that a former president’ daughter should be released from prison…. (for accepting bribes). BTW the ex-president was also in jail for corruption.

Economic -stock market. and religious capital in S.A.

At the San Francisco monastery … 25,000 buried in crypts below. It cost more money to be buried there…. but you got to heaven sooner….lol!. No pictures in this monastery (post cards for sale though)… t’was a shame… amazing, more beautiful than any other monastery (tiles crafted and brought from Spain. It took a year travel over Atlantic then through malaria infested jungles of Panama, then sailed down the Pacific) ….. strange since they only belief in poverty but the doner was the sister of Pizarro who had great wealth.

Drove by Santo Domingo pink monastery as old as San Francisco but not as many crypts

Lots of moorish influenced buildings in the city.

Population in Lima-1.5 Italian, 1.3 Chinese, Venezuelan then Japanese.

60% of economy is in services, construction second biggest economy ….then textiles (Pima cotton).

For 4 decades they had poor economy…2000% inflation crisis, communist government, terrorism & dictatorship ….now they are thriving.

Mining biggest outside Lima.

Destruction came with arrival of conquistadors. Made of Adobe so not as durable as others I’ve seen.

Altar, burial site & government site. Is 2000 years old.

Going through an area of former squatters…. all are uncompleted on upper floors with rebar sticking out so they pay no taxes.

Ficus trees with pink blooms like in Buenos Aires

Surco… middle class area.

Only one elevated train 9% use it, 13% bus users, Rest privately owned vehicles (informal transportation). They are going to build a 2nd. Want to make 5 in total.

Homes (condos) in Miraflores 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms….$300,000. 150,000 in the middle class area. $200/year taxes. Cheap!

60% send children to private schools.

Gone from 4 to 10 million people in 40 million ….from migration to escape terrorism from “Shining Path”

Squatters buildings are made of wood. They have not yet received title. Cement … they have it.

Natural sand dunes used to make building materials.

3.5% economy increased last year …10% of it in construction.

In the afternoon I went to Pachacamac which is an archeological site.

It was an oasis…. a religious destination.

Pre-Spanish civilizations in Peru are :-Lima 200-700 AD, Wari 700-1100AD, Ishma 1100-1470AD, then Inca 1470- 1533

Inca site-

1st temple we saw was restored then partially destroyed by earthquake in 1940. It was dedicated to chosen women & fertility. The indents in temple are only niches … only one opens.

Pyramids made by Inca-3; 16 built by Ishma … have ramps. They were astronomers.

Regional temples

Inca temple to left.

Limas had human sacrifices … had to be woman, 12-24 & short

Inca Trail… all around South America……entrance to Pachacamac.

Next site is cemetery for priest… took all organs, broke tendons in elbows and knee… to bury in fetal position, mummified then pillow was placed on top with drawing of a face.

Temple to sun…huge number human sacrifices.

Another mummy found last year unusually well preserved at Pachacamac. Another was found with blue eyes.

Not unusual to find mummies…. one place they found 1000 and still digging… amongst the squatters. …15 years ago it was started.

50% of petroleum produced in Peru is in the rain Forrest so they have halted a lot because of environmental concerns.

In the greater Lima area there are only 7.8/100,000 murders per year… no organized crime… just burglaries and the like. More people die by car than murder.

We arrived fairly early in the port of Callao. We were forwarded that it could be chaos and it was. The port is quite ugly but then as we head into where we are going to be staying ….. oh it vastly improves! It’s gorgeous driving along the shore with a pier and surfing schools. The steep banks are covered in nylon netting then planted mostly with Purple morning glory. It holds the hillside and looks pretty. Then up into Miraflores…. the “high rent district”. Oh my! Gorgeous, gorgeous hotel!

For a couple of day before starting our tour we just wandered this area going to Kennedy Park, Indian Market (Indigenous….. with tons of crafts), a drive down to the “Love Park” on the board walk overlooking the ocean. Marilyn and I walked down the side of the hill and back up! (Training for Machu Picchu).

When I added pictures the notes were getting mixed up so I quite…sorry!

The four of us shopping in the “Indian Market” with a llama

Pisco….. what we learned from lecturer…. for March 15/19

The ship doesn’t actually go there unless you’re going to the airport to fly over the Nazca Lines.

Something to see is Peruvian Galápagos Islands, off the coast called Ballestas Islands.

Be wary in Peru.

Humboldt current off the coast.

2nd exporter of copper and silver in world.

When the Europeans arrived there were 9 million indigenous ……. down to 600,000 soon after Europeans arrived.

Today 4% of population is Asian, 27% are indigenous.

The Napoleonic war in Europe lead to end of Spanish rule in South America because the Spanish had to concentrate efforts on Napoleon and not so much on the new world.

Guano…. bird poop is a source of wealth…. it’s gold.

1980 end of dictatorship in Peru but it is still iffy with corruption.

Paracas is nearest port from where we dock….. Playa el Chaco…. every half hour drive shuttle. Also to go see is Paracas national reserve.

Now my observations of our excursion to the Nazca Lines.

Absolutely barren…. salt on the hills near the port and the area of theNational Reserve. Two different stories… one that salt deposited from sea spray, the other explanation is that it’s from the rains from a month ago that caused the salt to leach out.

Guide on trip said:-

One of biggest producers of asparagus, paprika (banca chili is their similar spice but is redder and hotter), also yellow onions.

Discovered in 1911 but 1920…wrote about Machu Picchu; Nazca lines

450 sq. kilometres.

5 century BC to 2 century AD

Figures were made at different times

Nazca people used those same figures on pottery etc. On the June and December solstice the hummingbird and heron bird (both face east) there is a connection so there is a belief it is of a bigger “picture” calendar. …. astrology!

Pisco means flying bird but is also the name of a tribe.

Me:-

Wow…. what an airport! Brand new…. so different than the town which is nothing but shanties…. with lots and lots of tuk tuks!

At the airport we had to get weighed….that is to balance the plane and make sure it isn’t overloaded (the weights that we had previously given when we were at home are not necessarily the same now that we are coming to the end of a 3 week gastronomic cruise…. lol!)

Finally at 2:30 our flight took off…. 1/2 hour to get there….1/2 hour there then 1/2 back +/-.

Absolutely desolate countryside but then you see great swathes of farms that are apparently irrigated by underground sources.

We had been forewarned to not eat a heavy meal before and to take Gravol because of the fact the plane tips from side to side so that each side get to see the figures. Well…. some people didn’t fare so well! I would say that it was so very hard to see the figures before they tipped the plane the other way. And then my good camera wouldn’t snap. Very stressful after coming all this way and at a premium price.

Hint:-When looking at these images of the “Lines”, in most cases you will have to expand them to see the figures.

Lima …. where we got off on March 16/19

City of kings

10 million pop.

Could be chaos at Callao port.

Gold museum

Colonial architecture

Huge Cathedral from 1700s

Spanish been here since 1535

Plaza de Major.

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry & narrow mindedness.. mark twain

I had a whole lot written but I did something and it all disappeared ….. grrrrr! So this is all I have. We went for a walk around the central square where there is an old theatre, a fountain and local crafts for sale. It is all quite nice. We also went a checked out “Zofrei”…….their supposed “duty free shopping mall”. I wouldn’t recommend it. It was just a very huge mall… yucky!

So this what we heard from our guys that drove us up to Alto Hospicio where we took flight….500 metres above sea level…. spectacular views and ride but what a dilapidated town.

In 2014 they had really strong earthquake. (Everywhere in Chile they’ve had extremely strong earthquakes but seem to survive).

One month ago they had the first rain in 70 years…13 mm in 2 hours.

Going to fly over “cerro dragon”…. protected because it is symbol of Iquique… 5 kilometres long from head to tail.

Comancha beach for swimming… because it is in an area that is protected from the Pacific.

What a wonderful day Marilyn and I had paragliding in Iquigue. Sorry pictures aren’t in any specific order but they are from the flight down. I have more pictures and video but can’t send now.

Whoohoo!!!

La Serena … Gorgeous 7 mile beach up the ways a bit

Colonial style buildings…. that we never saw

Mummification developed 1000 years before Egypt.

Arid valley…. north point for growing grapes.

20C on coast but warmer in Elqui Valley.

There has been civilization in existence here up to 16,000 years ago.

Complex society 4-5000 yrs ago here. Before arrival of Europeans. Textiles ….Incas developed cotton. Ate fishes.

Largest domesticated animals…. llamas and alpacas.

This place I had never even heard of before but it’s quite huge and gorgeous …..except the area around the harbour where you see streets running almost straight up. There is a giant cross on the top of the hill.

OMG… the bird shit on the pier was the worst mile I’ve ever had to step amongst land mines

270 days a year are cloudy.

Most arid region in Atacama desert.. driest atmosphere in world even if it has a permanent fog bank.

Limari valley…. one of 3 alleys in the area. ….. great for growing white wine grapes.

600,000 inhabitants

Las Tacas…major resort … most expensive.. beautiful. $270,000 to buy… 5-600/ monthly fee though.

Major product caught….Scallops, sole & sea bass.

Chilean Pisco can be made from only (incl. pink) muscat from this area.

1000 mm of fog moisture/year…. not rain so the fog produces the cold at night that is necessary for growth of good white wine grapes.

So many cacti… so dry! Juice of the ? cactus is the “red bull of Chile” …. like Aloe Vera juice… pirates looked for it because the fruit prevented scurvy.

Coquimba means place of riches.

Limari valley was last bastion of the Incas.

Amazingly beautiful highway…. toll …. no one using it.

Sweet cucumbers and olive trees.

Incas called the Milky Way, the “river of souls”. I like that!

Loica…. beautiful red breasted bird at the toll.

Border…5100 metres Andes at Elqhi Valley but not here where it is not as high. Incidentally the border between bordering countries is decided by which way the rivers flow away from the high points of the Andes. That is why it is not a straight line.

The narrowest part of Chile to the south of is only 86 kilometres.

70% loss of agriculture in drought 2008-2014….. devastation. That was very apparent at the winery we went to.

At the petroglyphs… first there was a snake, then a scorpion, a cluster of stars, the condor nest, shaman, astronaut all of which were just holes in the huge rocks. Then there were numerous specific figures some looking quite human or like aliens. Those made it worth seeing.

In 1985, the port of San Antonio (where we docked) 90% was destroyed by earthquake. It is the biggest commercial port in Chile.

Santiagio has most of pop of Chile at 7.2 M. It is inland….. news to me. I did not go there but to Valparaíso. It was established in 1541…has unique architecture. The weather is like San Francisco. The expected high will be about 17C with 1M pop.

(Our lecturer said to be very careful of pickpockets… wear no jewelry… keep stuff close to you).

It’s the law to wear seatbelts on buses in Chile but this was 1st time it’s been mentioned.

Valparaiso has 43-45 hills.

The reason the ships stopped coming into Valparaiso is that the owner of the concession of port of Valparaiso is not interested in working with cruise ships…. maybe he charges too much. He also didn’t treat the workers. There were lots of strikes disrupting the port ….because of the way he treated them.

The first part of our trip to Valparaíso, the road is very good but very windy. On the main highway….. excellent 4 lanes, straight and divided.

Interesting story…. the ancient natives that lived on coast (Changos), killed sea lions, gutted them, put sticks inside and sewed the up… allowing them to dry. They then created rafts from these “balloons” …. to fish from.

Between every 4-8 years the farmed pines and eucalyptus are cut down for making paper.

All of South America gained independence from Spain within one decade …1810-20…. did not realize that.

Casablanca Valley…. one of the top 10 white wine producing regions of the world. …. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Castile du Diablo …. biggest producer of red….. mostly Cab Sauvignon.

Carmanere is their battle horse…produce 90% of world supply. Cholhagua valley (DO)

There used to be 100 ship per day in Valparaiso but went down to 5/day after the opening of Panama Canal.

City is an amphitheatre. Higher your home is the least desirable. 60% of inhabitants do not own cars because there is no where to park. The streets and alleys are so narrow and steep. Every alley or set of stairs has a name…. for mail delivery. It’s like a maze. Some house do not have any visible means to access them.

In many ways this city reminds me of the fevalas of Rio. Very cool!

We first went on funicular built in 1892. Then off to deliciously lunch of 2 wine, salad and main entree of

Hake.

Because of climate change lots of jellyfish in the local seas. .

Vina Del Mar … next door, is where Cristian our guide lives. It’s a “planned” city unlike Valparaiso.

First stop was a street called the 21st of May.

For 400 years it never rained one drop. Valparaiso means scorched earth……..even before Spanish were here.

More people die from tsunamis than earthquakes.

“Dogs rule the streets, cats the roofs so watch where you step. It might be soft and gushy”.

Below is some of the many graffiti/murals in Valparaiso, of which there is a profusion. More pictures to follow.

6.5 feet rain just a few kilos away but here today beautiful day here sunny but a very windy rocky ride on tender.

Northern entrance or exit to Patagonia….land of extremes.

No natives or Spaniards in this area. Chilhue means the land of sea gulls. It is the second largest Island in SA after Terra Del Fuego. There the natives sided with Spaniards and consider themselves Chilhuan first.

A large percentage of people have “SADs” and are bi-polar. They helped to change that by adding multiple colours on their homes.

Large agricultural lands.

Almost no unemployment in this area. Germans settled here. It is spotless, no crime, no garbage no bars on the window. They may have burnt all the trees but they are proud of how clean and crime free it is. 300000 of 1 million are of German heritage.

Only 16% now are Catholic.

120 year life on shingles made from trees similar to redwoods of California called “Alerce”.

Puerto Varas is a lovely clean town beautiful views over the lake at the spectacular volcanos….3. One dormant, one active and one extinct.

Natives like those around the world gave an intolerance of alcohol. Many of inhabitants have a problem with alcohol… not drugs. There is 0% tolerance for drinking and driving.

Milk and biproducts, Potatoes 6-8 varieties & Sugar beets used to feed animals in winter.

Lots of rain but moderate 19-20 C in summer usually but now with El Niño up to 80F. Rarely freezes in winter.

2nd exporter of fish after Norway.

Orsorno volcano… magnificent…. 200 craters… dormant … Puerto

Varas first German settlement on the Llanquihue Lake

Saw llamas (said yammas) and alpacas across from the volcano

Chile is over 4000 kms in length.

In 2015…. Kalbulco blew. Closing the airport for 2 months and affected tourism between Argentina and Chile. It takes 4 buses and 3 boats to go over Andes from Argentina was stopped for 8 months from the ash.

At the Petrohue Falls … beautiful with volcano in background.

Herb tea is part of daily life.

$1800-3000/ month for a teacher

420$/month is minimum wage

$480,000 for regular 3 bed, 2 bath home but some are worth over 1M

There are 2000 volcanos in Andes plus 2000 along coast. In 1960 there was an earthquake of 9.8 on old Richter scale. The resulting tsunami went all way to Australia.

This such a beautiful area that everyone we talked with said they would love to come back here….that there wasn’t enough time here.