Foto: The library of the San Francisco monastery in Lima (bron: Ronald van der Veer)
Peru - The city tour takes us to the center of Lima. At Plaza San Martin, we visit the Gran Hotel Bolívar, an 80-year-old luxury hotel that now shows some signs of faded glory. The city tour continues toward the main square, Plaza de Armas. There, we take a short walk past the remarkable post office, visit a church, and explore Plaza de Armas itself with its many neocolonial buildings. The beautifully carved wooden balconies are especially notable here. Passing by the train station—which has been closed for years due to terrorism concerns—we finally reach the San Francisco Church and Monastery. We tour the monastery with its old library and the catacombs, where the people of Lima were once buried. Back outside, we continue the city tour by bus toward the upscale district of Miraflores. Located on the coast, this area offers us a chance to grab a bite to eat. We sit on a terrace, have a drink, and strike up a conversation with another Dutch traveler. Around six o’clock, we arrive back at the airport. After checking in (which takes a while—it’s past seven by then), we order one last coffee with our remaining Soles. At eight o’clock, we board the plane.
The center of Cusco
Peru - At nine o'clock I’ve arranged to have breakfast at the hotel. Unfortunately, it's raining again today. We walk through the streets of Cusco to Plaza Cusipata. From there, we head toward the main square, Plaza de Armas. At the Cathedral, we buy a combination ...
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Peru - Four o’clock in the morning. The luggage is wet. Although it is still dark outside, it is dry. No one has really slept well. During breakfast—pancakes—it starts drizzling again. Not a good outlook for Machu Picchu. Wearing raincoats, ponchos on ...
The Uros islands on Lake Titicaca
Peru - In just over half an hour, we sail to the Uros Islands. Along the way, the guide tells us the history of Lake Titicaca and explains that the name is derived from the puma. He even shows how the lake supposedly has the shape of a puma (though that takes ...