Arequipa

Here are a few city pictures of Arequipa, Peru. In the 4th picture, I´m standing with a couple of people dressed in traditional Arequipa clothing. The 5th picture shows Volcano Misti that rises just outside of the city.

Huacachina Sand Dunes

Huacachina is a small town just a few minutes outside of Ica, Peru. It is basically right in the middle of a desert with giant sand dunes. I climbed to the top of one, as you can see in the last picture, and sandboarded (snowboarding but in the sand) later in the day.

Ballestas Islands part 2

Everybody likes seeing sea lions (pictures 2,3, and 4) and penguins (picture 5) but for me, the first picture is the most impressive. Where else can you open you eyes and see 500,000 birds at once?

Ballestas Islands

I went to Paracas, Peru to see the Ballestas Islands. They are a group of islands that shelter thousands of birds, penguins, and sea lions.

Lima, Peru

Here are a few pictures of Lima, Peru. The city wasn´t that exciting but there were some great archaeology museums and countless opportunities to practice my spanish.

Chavin Ruins part 2

The ruins were better preserved than I had imagined. The fourth and fifth pictures show what it is like walking inside the massive structure in the third picture. Just like the other ruins I have seen, the excavation process is far from over.

Chavin Ruins

While in Chavin for the day, I visited the well-preserved ruins. They are a series of older and newer structures built between 1200 B.C. and 800 B.C. The second, third, and fourth pictures are of the ceremonial grounds. The first picture gives a glimpse at the intricate drainage system used to prevent flooding and to send offerings to their gods.

More Pictures from Huaraz

Here are some more pictures from Huaraz, Peru. The second one is the highest mountain in Peru: Huascarán Mountain at 6,768 meters above sea level.

Huaraz: Laguna 69 part 3

The lagoon was surrounded by 5000 to 6000 meter mountains covered in glaciers. The color of the water is actually that color. The camera didn´t change the tint. It was the bluest water I have ever seen. The lagoon was beautiful but I like the scenery in the second picture best. It is hard to see but those are cows grazing in a high altitude valley with 6000 meter mountains in the background.

Huaraz: Laguna 69 part 2

Here are more pictures from my Lagoon 69 hike.

Huaraz: Laguna 69

Here are some pictures from my hike to Lagoon 69. It was harder than my first hike because it was farther and higher but definately worth it. The variety of mountains visible were some of the best I have ever seen.